Dr. Timothy Dillingham will be speaking about his experience in Botswana at the Walter Reed Medical Center as part of their State of the Science Symposium on "Global Health Engagement".

During this lecture, Dr. Dillingham will elaborate on his experience in Botswana where he fit 17 persons in 7 days in using the immediate fit iFIT prosthesis.  As the World Health Organization cites that 75% of persons with disability are lacking an orthotic or prosthetic device, he will touch on how the iFIT prosthesis can help bridge this gap and serve those in need globally.  

The lecture is schedule for February 10, 2023.  Time is TBD.  

​BACKGROUND:  William had his left leg amputated in 2017 due to Charcot Marie Tooth syndrome. He was fit with the iFIT prosthesis system in July 2017.  During the first year, he reports, “I used the iFIT exclusively and adjusted it all the time.”  He continued to wear the iFIT transtibial prosthesis exclusively for a total of 2.5 years.  

PROGRESS:  When William first came in, he could only walk a block or two.  Now he wears his prosthesis all day and can go anywhere he likes--
even the beach.  He has had a couple conventional prosthesis made over the past could years, but says he still continues to wear his iFIT Prosthesis which
is going on 5 years now. 

“My iFIT goes right on when I find my leg is sore.”  He especially likes
to wear it during the summer months and when taking his grandkids to the playground.  The security of the iFIT prosthesis helps him when he walks over uneven terrain.  He also noted, that “my grandkids were not scared of the iFIT like they were of the conventional leg, in fact, they were interested it.”  He loves wearing the iFIT Prosthesis as a talking point to educate others on limb loss.

William also has a separate iFIT prosthesis he reserves for water use.  
This has enabled him to go on trips to the beach, amusement parks and
on a cruise. “The iFIT Prosthesis has helped turn my disability into possibilities,” he concludes.

Walking, kayaking, swimming—if it’s happening outside, 39-year-old Cortney Small of Crimora, Virginia, is all in. It makes perfect sense, since she is something of a force of nature herself: After illness and infection threatened her life repeatedly, she’s fought her way back to live life to the full…and nothing’s going to hem her in.

“I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma when I was 16, and it was very serious,” Cortney recalls. “One thing they did in treating the cancer was
to remove my spleen, which impacted my immune system. So when I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 19, I had to be really careful because I knew
I wouldn’t heal from things as well as others.”

“I have back pain, and my old legs kind of forced me to walk hunched over, which didn’t help,” Cortney explains. “Now, with iFIT, I feel I stand taller and walk straighter—they just feel more sturdy. Plus, when my swelling increases or decreases, these prosthetics are very easy to adjust.”

Spend a few minutes talking to 41-year-old WT Fix, and you’ll know he’s a man on the move.  As a motorcycle enthusiast, firefighter with Churchville (Virginia) Volunteer Fire & Rescue, and manager of Fisher Auto, WT has no intention of watching life pass him by.  Even when an amputation threatened to sideline his activities, he simply made a decision to get back into action…and he’s been living life in the fast lane ever since.

In considering other prosthetic options for his volunteer firefighting, WT decided to try the highly accommodating, patented transtibial device from iFIT—Immediate Fit, Innovative Technology. As the only adjustable preparatory device on the market, iFIT offers one-session fittings for people with amputations to get them back on their feet quickly. Further, it handles fluctuating volume levels seamlessly—great for busy people with active lives.

“I love how it fits—iFIT is the only device that hasn’t caused a problem with my tibia. It took me a little over two hours to get fitted initially, and I walked out with a finished product and haven’t experienced any issues at all,” WT says. “With my old devices, I used to have to carry extra socks with me; with iFIT, I can adjust the fit quickly and easily as my limb volume changes,” WT says. Two more great perks for WT are iFIT’s easy-on design and safer release button. “I keep it right next to my bed: It’s so easy to put on, which is good for firefighting—when I get a call I’ve got to get there quickly. And with other systems, I learned the hard way that when a release button protrudes, you risk literally losing your leg at the wrong time. With iFIT, the release button is almost recessed, which virtually eliminates any accidents.”

​

• Earlier receipt of a prosthesis is associated with reduced spending in the 12 months post-amputation of approximately $25,000 compared with not receiving a prosthesis.
• The results of this study suggest that not providing or delaying the provision of a prosthesis increases costs by about 25%.
• iFIT can help facilitate fitting patients soon after amputation with the ability to be fit anywhere — hospital, nursing home, patient homes, etc. in a single session.

Read full study

Miller, T.A., Paul, R., Forthofer, M. and Wurdeman, S.R., 2020. Impact of time to receipt of prosthesis on total healthcare costs 12 Months Postamputation. American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation, 99(11), p.1026.

Your patients shouldn't have to wait for months to get the help they need. Amputees can suffer greatly with less movement, leading to more muscle atrophy, greater deconditioning, and reduced joint range of motion.  
iFIT can help with assessing your patients’ needs via Telehealth.
​

• Trouble shoot the situation together  
• Simple solutions for modification
• Make cable adjustments easily 
  
• Help patients manage their volume

Method: Retrospective observational study on 4,578 Veterans hospitalized for LLA and discharged 2003- 2004, looking at time to all-cause mortality from the amputation surgical date up to the 3 yr anniversary.

Results: 1,300 (28.4%) persons received a prescription for a prosthetic limb within 1 yr after the surgical amputation. About 46% (n = 2,086) of all Veterans w LLA died within 3 yr of the surgical anniversary. Among those who received a prescription for a prosthetic limb, only 25.2% died within 3 yr of the surgical anniversary. 

Discussion: The time to receipt of the prescription for a prosthetic limb (prosthetic fitting) was associated with lower mortality.

Conclusions: 

• It is important that patients who would benefit from a lower limb prosthesis obtain one as soon as they are medically stable. 
• Early fitting may provide a psychological boost to patients’ motivation, further promoting their overall health.
• Patient-centered care and early prosthetic fitting, is associated
  with longer survival.

Reference:​ Kurichi JE, Kwong P, Vogel WB, Xie D, Cowper Ripley D, Bates BE. Effects of prosthetic limb prescription on 3-year mortality among Veterans with lower-limb amputation. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2015;52(4):385-96. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2014.09.0209. PMID: 26348602; PMCID: PMC4563808