Computerized Leg Helping Amputees
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Fifteen years ago, Chris Culross met his wife, Andrea, and found a new hobby.
"I was over at her house one day, and her mother pulled some syrup out and said, 'Here, have some pancakes and maple syrup I made,' and I thought that was the best idea," says Chris.
But tapping trees for syrup took on a new challenge when Chris lost his leg in a car accident. His first prosthetic was not what he expected.
"A wire came up and that's how I had to pull it to bend it."
Even walking on smooth surfaces required total concentration.
"Even in a building, if there was a little bump on the floor, I'd hit it and tumble."
Determined to find something better, Chris went to Harvey Sosnoff, a prosthetist in Worcester, Massachusetts. He fitted Chris with a new leg called a C-Leg which is short for computerized leg.
"This is a live, animated thing that actually senses in real time where his knee is," says Sosnoff.
Fifty times a second, a computer chip reads the amount of pressure on his foot and the position of his knee. Real time adjustments inside the knee keep Chris steady on his feet. For Chris, the benefits are more than he could have imagined.
"I've never been able to hold my son and walk. Now, I can."
If you would like more information about these prosthetics, you can contact Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics at 1-877-4-HANGER.
For a list of practitioners who utilize the C-Leg Click Here.
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