BIODESIGN PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS
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Extreme Knees For Winter Sport
Winter is here and I though it would be good time to write about winter prosthetic sport options. With a background in the ski industry having fit ski boots for the last 20 odd years, and now working with amputees who like to take part in winter sport i could not think of a more exciting time with all the emerging technology for extreme and winter sport. This article will try and provide brief information on some of the extreme winter sport knees currently on the market.
B-Peg Snowboard Prosthetic Leg.
This incredible “b-peg” prosthesis, which has been two years in the making and cost around €12,000 to build, came about when Zaal teamed up with mechanical designer and part-time snowboard instructor LiangTi Tan, who he met in 2008. Once they’d joined forces with Boers & Co, a business specialising in precision mechanics that agreed to sponsor the project, things really got underway.
What’s revolutionary about this particular snowboard prosthesis is the asymmetrical parallelogram that connects the knee with the ankle. In layman’s terms, this means that Zaal is able to keep his balance when snowboarding. Existing prostheses usually have a fixed ankle joint or one with limited movement, with the result that it’s very difficult to maintain balance when doing linked turns or carving – both pretty key manoeuvres for boarders to master.
“The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of snowboarding with the b-peg is the feeling that it’s not the prosthetic, but my own snowboarding skills that are holding me back,” Zaal says.
“That gives me a tremendous feeling of freedom.”
Tan has also integrated a Step-In system, allowing Zaal to both step into the board binding and take it off with minimal effort.
BARTLETT UNIVERSAL TENDON KNEE
Natural Feel
The BTK is the only knee that integrates the use of a proprietary soft and hard tendon system combined with the newest air/oil shock technology on the market. This muscle driven combination increases feedback and gives the user a unique, natura,l smooth action feel that cannot be replicated by other knees.
Military Strong
the BTK meets and exceeds military requirements! The BTK knee is manufactured utilizing super light weight CNC machined 6061 T aircraft aluminum, stainless steel and aircraft grade sealed bearings. All aluminum parts are anodized to military spec. “Mil-A-8625 Type 3 Class 2” that gives the knee unit incredible strength and durability.
The Ottobock ProCarve skiing prosthesis provides targeted support for ambitious athletes in their individual alpine winter sports. Designed especially for skiing, this high-activity sports prosthesis has integrated, high-performance dampers control the flexion and extension movements for users with an above- or below-knee amputation. ProCarve is also suitable for other sports, such as wakeboarding, snowboarding and water-skiing.
Going down the mountain freestyle, whether in powder or on prepared pistes – with ProCarve there are almost no limits.
The Moto Knee was developed to be a specific high impact multisport knee with extension assist and flexion resistance, which mimics the action of your quadricep muscles when engaged. Because of this, it is not an ideal walking leg for everyday use.
Possible uses:
-Motocross -Downhill/cross-country skiing
-Snocross -Sportbike
-Jet Ski -Horseback riding
-Wake/snow/skate board -ATV
-Downhill mtn. bike -Waterskiing
-Weight training -And much more
-High stability knee
