About Osseointegration (OI)
Dankmeyer is at the forefront of working alongside our pioneering referral sources to incorporate osseointegration for appropriate prosthetic patients.
What is Osseointegration?
Osseointegration is a procedure that aims to enhance the function and mobility of individuals who have had an amputation. During the procedure, a metal implant is surgically implanted into the bone of the patient’s residual limb. The prosthetic components are then attached directly to the implant, eliminating the need for a prosthetic socket. In some cases, the osseointegration surgery may take place in multiple stages, depending on which implant system is used by the surgical team.
What are some of the benefits of Osseointegration?
Certain fit issues that may be attributed to the traditional prosthetic socket, including sweating, pain, pressure, chafing, and skin related issues, are eliminated since the prosthetic components attach directly to the residual limb via the metal implant.
Since the metal implant is attached directly into the bone, it provides improved osseoperception and osseoproprioception. Those with osseointegration have what is known as osseoperception, or the ability to sense the world through the limb, and osseoproprioception, or the ability to sense where the prosthesis is without looking at it.
In comparison to traditional sockets, the nature of the implant allows for greater range of motion at the proximal muscle joint, which for a transfemoral amputee may result in a more comfortable gait and the ability to sit in a more natural seated position.
Here are some reference materials that might be useful.
The Amputee Coalition (AC) has a page on their website that provides an overview of OI. The AC states that the page is not “specific medical or legal advice but rather to provide consumers with information to better understand their health and healthcare issues.” Click here.
The Johns Hopkins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Osseointegration Clinic provides information here.
There are several patients who have shared their stories with us in the Patient Stories page of our website, or on YouTube.
Reverend Kleyton Feitosa, who you see in the picture at the top of this page on the left, shares his medical journey here.
Mr. Eddie Chapman, featured in the center of the top picture, shares his story here.
Ms. Linda Williams, featured in the picture at the top on the right, takes a stroll in our Baltimore Washington office parking lot in one video, and in the other she has a very moving description of how OI has changed her life.
If you are interested in knowing more about osseointegration, you can email info@dankmeyer.com.