Paralympians benefit from state-of-the-art prosthetics. Many Canadians can’t afford them

For decades, Paralympians have been landing on the podium with the help of advances in prosthetics, including lighter, more flexible materials. But while similar technology is often available to many people with a disability, the high cost can put it out of reach.

Prosthetics have evolved over the years. Carbon fiber has made some devices lighter and more energy efficient, and digital design allows fittings to conform to a person’s body, improving stability and control.

Also includes some prosthetics electronic equipment – often in the joints or hands – which use sensors to react in real time. For example, if someone stumbles, some artificial knees can detect this and lock in place to help prevent falls.

“The knee and leg that Terry Fox was using, the one we have now is just night and day different,” said Shane Glasford, a certified prosthetist and head of the prosthetics team at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto.

Glassford, who fits prosthetics for people who have lost limbs — mostly through injury or disease — said hands are another area of ​​advancement. Older prosthetics could only move a few fingers and handle simple grip. Newer versions can create multiple positions by moving all the fingers.

“We can create a grip where the hand will just correspond to a point, so if they need to reach the ATM machine, point (their finger) and press their button while they enter the code,” Glassford said.

Paralympic snowboarder Tyler Turner, who won a gold medal at this year’s Milano Cortina Games, said he saw technology “changing very rapidly,” especially in prosthetic legs.

Turner, who is double handicapped, uses feet designed to absorb shock and pressure – essential in a high-impact sport like snowboarding.

“It feels very natural,” he said. “When I’m snowboarding, you can’t tell I’m snowboarding artificially, because the legs are so advanced.”

Improvements in the way prosthetics are designed and manufactured are also changing the game.

This includes Digital scan of a person’s amputation siteInstead of a physical mold, and using software to design a prosthetic limb specific to a person’s body.

Researchers are also experimenting with artificial intelligence Develop and produce more responsive Organ. But, International Paralympic Committee for Paralympics restricts device That is “automatic, computer-aided, or robotic equipment.”

3D printing is promising for future prosthetics

Another emerging technology for prosthetics 3d printing is.

While 3D-printed prosthetics have already been created debut At the Rio Paralympics in 2016, they are not common among athletes.

And some Canadian amputees are already using 3D-printed prosthetics in their daily lives. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto said the technology is still in its early stages, but is already being tested by some of the children they see.

“Now that we’re incorporating things like 3D scanning, digital designing and 3D printing, we’re allowing more customization and more personalization,” said Ellen Lorette, certified prosthetist at Holland Bloorview.

Combined with lighter and stronger materials, the technology could help prosthetists design equipment for daily function and athletic performance, he said.

“These are things we could only dream of many years ago,” said Jan Andrysek, a senior scientist at the Holland Bloorview Research Institute.

“We can completely rethink how we design and make prostheses. We can make them more flexible, we can make them more comfortable for kids and those are some of the key elements that really enable a child to participate in activities.”

Some? research suggests 3D printing can reduce costs by using cheaper materials and less labor, but Andreysek said researchers are still studying whether that’s true.

Still, the promise of lower costs is spurring innovation, and prosthetists say price remains a major barrier for people.

High costs, uneven coverage

Experts say the price of a prosthesis depends on several factors, including who it is for, what it is being used for and whether it includes any joints.

Prosthetists who spoke to CBC News estimated the cost in Canada could range from about $5,000 to $100,000. Brittany Posset, director of clinical research at the Barber Prosthetics Clinic in Vancouver, BC, said a prosthesis can last three to five years, depending on use.

Research shows that Coverage for prosthetics varies Widely across Canada. For example, provincial programs in British Columbia and Ontario cover prosthetics for basic functions, while some East Coast provinces, including Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, offer little or no support.

Posset, who has worked as a prosthetist for more than a decade and is studying the topic as part of her PhD at the University of British Columbia, said she sees the impact of limited access firsthand.

“It impacts their physical health, their mental health, impacts what they can do on a daily basis,” he said.

“When you don’t have the tools to do what you need to be able to do, it really affects you all the same.”

He pointed to an American initiative called so that everyone can walkThe purpose of which is to change state and federal laws to expand coverage of prostheses used for fitness and sports.

Ontario resident Sam Paulos, who had to have one of his legs amputated after a serious bacterial infection in 2011, paid nearly $12,000 for his skiing leg. He said that more support is needed during rehabilitation.

“We’ve seen that physicians prescribe activity … participating in sports or any type of movement is really beneficial for people to have more positive outcomes in their rehabilitation journey,” Paulos said.

“Not only that, but from a mental health standpoint, who doesn’t enjoy being outside, who doesn’t enjoy going back to activities or sports that they maybe did before their injury.”