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What Is Prosthetics?
Prosthetics is the medical specialty dedicated to evaluating for, designing, building, and fitting prostheses (also known as artificial limbs, legs, or arms).
Gillette Children’s is a leading Minnesota provider of prostheses for children, teens, and adults. At Gillette, you work with certified prosthetists, who collaborate with orthopedic surgeons, rehabilitation medicine physicians, therapists, and other experts to provide comprehensive care.
Which Conditions Do Prostheses Treat?
Anyone who has a condition that causes the loss of a limb—or that affects the development of a limb—might benefit from a prosthesis. Children with limb differences due to conditions such as fibula hemimelia, tibia hemimelia, proximal femoral focal deficiency, amniotic band syndrome, amelia, ischemia due to sepsis or meningococcemia, or amputations due to trauma may need to use a prosthesis.
At Gillette, we design and fit many different prostheses, including:
- Passive arms and hands (to help young children balance, push objects, and get used to wearing a prosthesis, like an artificial arm).
- Myoelectric arms, and body-powered arms and hands.
- Leg and partial foot prostheses.
- Leg prostheses with microprocessor-controlled knees.
- Sports or activity specific prostheses for arms or legs.
Prosthetics Services at Gillette Children's
If your child needs comprehensive prosthetics care for a congenital limb difference (born without all or part of a limb) or an injury that resulted in an amputation (loss of all or part of a limb), we provide access to the latest prosthetic technology and treatments, all in a family-centered environment. All Gillette prosthetists are certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics, Inc.
Your specialized team creates a custom treatment plan that involves both medical and rehabilitation components. As part of this plan, your child might receive care from specialists in areas including:
In addition to these specialty areas, your child might benefit from our assistive technology services at clinics throughout the Twin Cities and in communities throughout greater Minnesota.
Through Gillette Adult Services, we also offer ongoing care for kids whose needs continue into adulthood.
What Sets Gillette Children's Apart in Prosthetics Care
Our Prosthetics Clinic team includes expert physical medicine & rehabilitation physicians, orthopedists, prosthetists, physical therapists, and nurses. Other specialists including psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists are available as needed. The multispecialty approach supports better communication and partnership with families in making a comprehensive, coordinated treatment plan. With one appointment together with multiple professionals, the clinic offers convenient, comprehensive care. For prosthetic care, there’s also frequent co-treatment with physical and occupational therapists.
At Gillette, we care for patients at every age, from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood. Our team of medical experts understands your child's changing needs and is able to provide the ideal prosthesis and care at the right time to adapt their unique needs. We take the time to get to know you and your child so that we may collaborate with you and provide the best possible care to ensure that your child thrives at every developmental stage.
Gillette was the first hospital in Minnesota and is the sole pediatric hospital in the Midwest to partner with the Amputee Coalition. The Amputee Coalition is a nonprofit organization. Their mission is to reach out to and empower people affected by limb loss and limb difference to achieve their full potential through education, support and advocacy, and to promote limb loss prevention. Through the coalition, Gillette patients can connect with a national network of peers.
Gillette’s team of experts is leading multidisciplinary research related to children with limb loss or limb difference. Much of the research is focused on outcome measures that can be used to assess and improve care. Our team is pioneering important research that will not only improve the care we provide to your child, but care for children nationwide.
