Mecuris’ vision is to offer kids the best pediatric prosthetic foot on the market for their everyday adventures. We are young and eager to really make a difference in each wearer ́s life, with children being at the core of our effort. With our innovative production process, we are able to provide children with highly individualized, 3D-printed products that enable their joy of movement and that are fun to wear due to the aesthetic design.
To get proof of that - or to get an idea of how to make our products even better - we are thrilled to announce the start of a product evaluation with the University of Colorado-Boulder on the Mecuris FirStep beginning next month. For that, we are still on the search for children to participate in the study. So, if you want your child to try on the world’s first 3D printed pediatric prosthetic foot - soon to enter the US-market - don´t hesitate to contact us.
Here are some further informations on the Product Evaluation Study:
Title of Product Evaluation: Effects of Prosthetic Foot Stiffness on the Biomechanics of Walking in Toddlers
Purpose/Goal of Study: The purpose of the study is to determine how the use of different pediatric prosthetic foot stiffness, defined as the resistance to compression, affect the motion and forces (biomechanics) during walking in toddlers with unilateral below-knee (transtibial) amputations.
Why: Due to the severity of impairment caused by a lower extremity amputation and the healthcare costs incurred over the lifetime of a person with an amputation, it is extremely important to optimize pediatric prosthetic foot prescription and design so that toddlers with amputations can regain the greatest possible level of functional ability and activity. Little to no research has analyzed the walking patterns of toddlers with transtibial amputations even though it is estimated over 10,000 children suffer from this condition.
How: We will ask toddlers with a transtibial amputation to try on a FirStep with different stiffness variations (resulting from changes in foot length or heel/forefoot thickness). We will then analyze these results with the biomechanics of toddlers without an amputation using 3D ground reaction forces, contact times, step lengths, step frequencies, joint angles, moments and powers.
Inclusion Criteria:
9 years old or younger (before their 10th birthday)
Independent walking with at least one-month of experience
Able to walk for two minutes in a straight path without losing balance
Exclusion Criteria:
Requires assistance other than prosthesis to walk
Unable to walk for two minutes in a straight path without losing balance
Biomechanical impairments not including transtibial amputation
Hip motility
Birth Defects impairing non-amputated limb
Injury (ie. broken bone, muscle/tendon tear/soreness that affects walking
When: July - September 2019
Where: University of Colorado-Boulder, 354 UCB, Boulder CO, 80309, Department of Integrative Physiology, Applied Biomechanics Lab
Contact Information:
For research & participation information:
Alena Grabowski, PhD
alena.grabowski@gmail.com
(303) 492-5208
For product information:
Bryce Schmidt, MSc
bryce.schmidt@mecuris.com
+49 89 552623-86
Information Provided/Conducted By:
Alena Grabowski, PhD
Applied Biomechanics Lab
Department of Integrative Physiology
University of Colorado Boulder
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