Our Prosthetics Specialty

Prosthetics is the art and science of developing artificial replacements for body parts.  This branch of the allied medical field provides custom fitting, design, and fabrication of artificial limbs for those individuals who have lost a limb because of a congenital defect, disease, or trauma. A prosthesis is used to care for patients with the partial or total absence of a limb.

At Alabama Artificial Limb & Orthopedic Service, Inc. (AAL&OS) we specialize in designing, fabricating, and fitting patients with high-quality, comfortable prosthesis.

In providing prosthetic services to our patients, we examine and evaluate his or her prosthetic needs, formulate the design, including selection of materials and componentry, make all necessary casts, measurements, and model modifications.  Services also include static and dynamic alignments, evaluating the prosthesis on the patient, instructing the patient in its use, and working with the consulting physician along with other members of the rehab team and case managers.

Our Commitment to Creating Solutions

AAL&OS is committed to fitting those individuals who have amputated limbs with prosthetic devices that best suit their specific lifestyles and goals. Because each individual has unique needs regarding function, durability, comfort and appearance, the professional staff at AAL&OS fits and fabricates a wide variety of both lower and upper limb prostheses. We strive to build a personal relationship with each of our patients.

Our Commitment to Technology

AAL&OS continues to update and upgrade our CAD/CAM software and hardware to provide the highest level of precision to the prosthetics we fabricate. AAL&OS has remained a technology leader in the O&P field with our investment in the TracerCAD system, considered by many to be the next generation of computer imaging and fabrication. TracerCAD directly digitizes the patient's residual limb in order to create an exact computer image of the limb. The resulting on-screen, three-dimensional model allows the practitioner to design and adjust a prosthetic model more precisely than ever before possible. Additionally, the TracerCAD system stores each patient's file for easy future reference, often eliminating additional trips to the laboratory for our patients.

Combined with the TracerCAD system is AAL&OS’s PDI carver, which allows for greatly improved speed and accuracy in fabricating prosthetic sockets. Together, these systems represent a tremendous investment in the future and help us to redefine the possible for our patients.

Our Commitment to the Best Materials

AAL&OS tests and uses the best available materials in the fabrication of our prosthetic devices. For instance, we fit many of our lower limb prosthetic patients with the latest and most comfortable interface technology: The Alpha Liner. This liner combines a comfortable gel layer, which contacts the skin, with an outer fabric layer that slides easily into the socket and provides durable protection for the skin-friendly gel body. The gel layer is infused with mineral oil to condition, cushion, and protect.  The gel’s responsiveness to changes in pressure and stress during locomotion, as well as changes in limb volume throughout the day, provide an extraordinary degree of comfort and wearability.

We also have ultra-lightweight materials that make lower limb prostheses lighter and more durable than ever before. Our technicians utilize several different types of composite materials and components, depending upon the needs and lifestyle of the amputee.  Our prosthetists access the desires and requirements of our patients, along with a physician and members of the rehab team, and may recommend the use of prosthetic feet, which mimic the capabilities of the natural foot, and hydraulic, lightweight knee-shin components to make the most of an individual's artificial limb.

Our Prosthetic Staff’s Teamwork

Practitioners and technicians on our prosthetic team know the importance of working together to produce the best results. Therefore, we participate in the patient’s overall healthcare plan by working closely with the patient and fellow rehab team members including physicians, therapists, case managers, and the patient’s family to ensure that the best possible prosthetic solution is provided for each individual.

Our commitment to teamwork also means that our practitioners participate in ongoing training, as continuing education is mandatory for all professional staff members. The company hosts an annual educational conference for the entire staff to provide on-going skills training and policy review.

AAL&OS is a member of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association and our main facility is certified by the American Board for Certification and Licensed in Alabama.