The fitting was done for James Ross.  James is a great guy who underwent an above-knee amputation just over one year ago.  Check out the video of him walking up and down a 10% incline!  Very impressive control, and he’s only getting better.  He’s worked really hard to get to this level and has recently moved out to Colorado to train with the US Paralympic Ski Team.  Obviously we are very proud of the effort he has put in.

SYMBIONIC LEG

Bulow is now treats amputees in:

Nashville, Tennessee
Columbia, South Carolina
San Antonio, Texas
Cookeville, Tennessee
Clarksville, Tennessee
Augusta, Georgia

“Our clinicians focus exclusively on prosthetic care because we believe if a patient receives the right prosthetic fitting and the right technology, they can get back to doing what they love and reach their goals,” says Matthew Bulow, C.P., founder of Bulow BioTech Prosthetics. “As we grow, we are hiring only the very best clinical staff. The prosthetist that operates our new San Antonio clinic has fit more above and below knee amputees in the last five years than most clinicians will fit in a lifetime.”

Since opening its first clinic in Nashville in 2006, Bulow has become a healthcare destination for prosthetic patients. The San Antonio clinic is the first Bulow expansion outside of the Southeast. The company will announce clinics in additional geographic regions in the coming months.

“Our mission is to help amputees get their lives back to normal. That could mean getting back to work or enjoying an old hobby again,” says Bulow. “Our growth is a direct result of patient satisfaction stemming from our ability to deliver on that promise.”

For more information, or if you are interested in becoming a part of the Bulow team, please visit www.bulowbiotech.com.

About Bulow BioTech Prosthetics
Founded in 2006, Bulow BioTech Prosthetics is a national destination for lower and upper extremity prosthetics, myoelectric arms and bionic technology. Led by Matthew Bulow, who is himself an amputee, cancer survivor, diabetic, and world record setting athlete; the practice provides innovative prosthetic technology, one-on-one personal attention, and life-long nurturing guidance. Bulow serves patients from across the country at its clinics in Nashville, TN, Cookeville, TN, Clarksville, TN, Columbia, SC, Augusta, GA, and San Antonio, TX.

Contact Information:
Kristen Allen
kma@ccopartners.com
312.961.4745

She was able to receive her prosthetics thanks to funding from the Mending Limbs Organization, a non-profit that provides financial support to amputees who do not have insurance, or whose insurance will not cover the costs of a prosthetic. Together with Mending Limbs, Bulow fit Ms. Black with two legs, and she is now able to walk again!

WZTV FOX 17 covered her story–see the link below to view the video and make sure to check out www.mendinglimbs.org for more information about this fantastic non-profit.

FOX 17 Video

Check out pictures in the Image Gallery under the Media tab!

Bobby Latham, C.P.
Columbia, S.C.

First, many insurance companies, including Medicare, are now requiring that for any new service provided, the patient must first see their primary care physician to receive a prescription indicating a medical necessity for the desired service. Many patients may say, “It’s no problem to have my doctor fax over a prescription to my prosthetist for a new socket, they know who I am, it isn’t necessary that I go see them.” This may have been the case in the past, but insurance providers are becoming stricter with their guidelines and are now requiring that your physician see you in person in order to determine medical necessity. Another detail to be aware of is that after your surgery, you need to be cleared by your surgeon before any prosthetic care begins. Each individual is unique in their healing process, which is why we will be working closely with your physician to determine when you are ready to be fit with prosthesis.

As always, if you have any questions regarding your prosthetic care, we are here to listen!

Bryan Fairbanks, C.P,
Cookeville, TN office

He had previously been using his prosthesis while cycling which did not provide much benefit and added additional weight. We were able to trouble shoot a solution for him that involved a custom made cycling prosthesis that direct mounted to the bike’s frame, taking away the need to use an everyday walking leg. We went through a couple of different design models to determine which solution fit his needs best, and found that to be a combination of prefabricated, custom, and never before seen parts. I took a cast of the upper tube and bottom bracket to make custom carbon fiber bike attachment points. 30mm and 34mm carbon pylons were attached in between, with a metal pin for removal of the system from the bike. An aluminum component was designed and custom fabricated that had never before been made. This component attached to the 30 mm pylon, and had a receiver for the speedplay pedal on the opposite end. We duplicated his socket as the attachment point to his limb.

The front of his bike shoe was removed, and we laminated in the cleat attachment point into the socket as a mounting point for the speedplay pedal receiving clip. When the patient wore the socket, he clipped it into the bike pedal just like he would with his sound side foot. To dismount, he simply rotated the socket and it pops loose. This design was super sturdy, and allowed him to stand and crank on his sound limb up some great hills in his training.

Great project, and I look forward to working on more like it.

To see how unique prosthetic solutions enable athletes with amputations, check out this footage from the recent Challenged Athletes Foundation San Diego Triathlon Challenge. http://bit.ly/v4aEwV

-Bobby Latham, C.P
Columbia, South Carolina

The casting process can vary greatly depending on the level of amputation, liner, and suspension type.  In a below knee prosthesis, we typically start by examining the residual limb for sensitive areas and bony prominences and asking the patient for their input.  Next, the gel liner is rolled onto the limb and is wrapped in a thin plastic to prevent ink and plaster from contacting it.  A casting sock is placed on top and is held in place with an elastic strap around the patient’s back.  This serves as the drawing board, where the practitioner will outline the sensitive areas and bony prominences, paying close attention to the patient’s input and past experience.  Two types of plaster, elastic and rigid, are rolled around the limb, which will harden within a few minutes under vacuum.  During this process, the practitioners will custom mold the plaster impression on the residual limb in order to create some of the shape of the final socket.  Once it is hardened, the cast is removed and is filled with plaster to make a solid model.  The practitioner can then further shape the positive model into a finished shape and volume.

If we are casting for an above-knee prosthesis, a similar casting process can be used.  Another option is the use of prosthetic casting brims to give a “pre-fit” before applying plaster.  This process involves using pre-shaped brims that are fit to the patient according to their limb size.  The shape starts off generic, but we modify it to fit each patient’s anatomy.  We then take a plaster cast over the fitting brim and the bottom (distal) half of the residual limb.  Once this cast is poured, modified, and made into a test socket, we then re-fit it to the patient to ensure comfort and function.

Bobby Latham, C.P
Columbia, SC.

I have had the honor and privilege to work with many brave injured soldiers from the United States Army at Fort Campbell KY. It has been extremely rewarding to see many soldiers return to active duty– and many times active combat deployments–without limitations due to their prostheses.

Many unique considerations must be addressed to allow the soldier to meet the high functional demands of a combat deployment. Prosthetic components must be durable and meet the unique challenges of the environments and terrain that the soldiers encounter. New multipurpose prosthetic feet are lightweight, durable and versatile to meet all the challenges that a soldier may face during combat. Features such as shock absorbers, rotators, and multiaxial ankle joints allow soldiers to run, perform jumps from helicopters, and traverse rugged terrain. Bulow additionally makes sure that soldiers take back up prostheses in case problems arise while on deployment. We train these soldiers to make self adjustments to their prosthetics during deployments including socket and fitting modifications and alignment changes. Fabrications of the prosthesis are customized to the unique demands of the soldiers to include heavy duty laminations that support the weight of their weapons and ruck sacks. Soldiers who have returned to combat after amputation injury all report the incredible pride and honor it is to return to their units and bravely defend our country.

We at Bulow Biotech are very proud of the brave men and women that we have had the privilege to partner with in the United States Army.

Scott A Moore CP,PTA
Clarksville, TN Clinic