Advances In Prosthetic Limbs Help Disabled Children Live Better Lives
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – It's a new technology in Philadelphia that's helping disabled children live better lives. Prosthetic limbs have become almost super human by being involved in all kinds of revolutionary technology. Shriners Hospital now has some new machinery that's doing big things, for little kids.
6-year-old Kasen Firestine is taking his first steps with his new prosthetic leg. Born with a leg deformity, as he's grown, Kasen's had a series of prosthetics, all made at the Shriners Hospital for Children.
It's been an emotional roller coaster for his family, grandmom has made sure to make him feel special, especially among his friends at school.
"They're still gonna think you're a super hero," said Julia Firestine, Kasen's grandmom. "We thank everybody for it, for helping us with him."
Older models used to take a long time to make, but now the new technology speeds up the process making the fittings a lot easier for children like Kasen.
"Helps me bend and get around easier," Kasen said.
"He can walk, and run, and do stairs, it's just amazing," said Kasen's grandmom.
The new technology at Shriners starts with computerized imaging that creates a model of the mold used to make the prosthetic. That image is sent to a 3-d axis carver, which quickly creates the mold.
"It carves out the exact shape that's designed on the computer," said Rich Schoendorn, at the Shriners Hospital for Children. "I think it's great, it really speeds up the process."
The prosthetic is then fitted around the mold, and all the computerized settings are saved, so as children grow it's quicker and easier to make them new limbs.
"It's just amazing, absolutely amazing, that they can do this now," Julia says.
With the new technology at Shriners, what used to take 90 minutes, now takes only 10 minutes so they're able to help more children like Kasen.
