Orthotics support body parts, while prostheses replace missing ones. Both can be prescribed by healthcare professionals and use similar materials. Prostheses can also be cosmetic and advanced enough for athletic performance.
Orthotics and prostheses are two types of medical devices. While they share certain characteristics, they perform completely different functions. Orthotics are primarily designed to support a part of the body, while prostheses are designed to replace a missing body part. A healthcare professional can also prescribe or supply both devices. Knowing how orthotics and prostheses differ from one another can help make choosing the correct device easier.
Orthotics, from the Greek word “ortho” meaning “to straighten” are devices that correct or support the movement, shape or function of any part of the body, including the torso, limbs and extremities. The most common types are back braces, knee and knee pads, and shoe inserts. Most of these devices are used to correct problems resulting from a health condition or injury. Scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, is often treated with a back brace. Orthotic shoe inserts can help improve posture and reduce back, leg and foot pain by helping to force the skeleton into proper alignment.
Other types of orthotics include halo braces, which are used to immobilize the upper spine and head following spinal cord injury, ankle orthotics, and hip braces. Orthotics also include flexible orthotics, for joints such as the knee and elbow, which are used to help prevent injury during athletics and other strenuous physical activities.
Prostheses are medical devices designed to replace a lost or missing body part and have been in use for centuries. An example of the most primitive form of this device is the wooden leg, often seen in movies. Modern prosthetics is a very advanced field with devices capable of many tasks. A prosthetic hand, for example, can sense micro-movements of muscles in the remaining portion of the injured limb and use these impulses to close a robotic hand, allowing the patient to grasp and manipulate objects.
In addition to their practical function, prosthetic devices can also be cosmetic. Prosthetic eyes perform a cosmetic function for patients who have lost an eye, and prosthetic limbs can help people who have lost one or both legs to walk or even run again. Advanced prosthetic legs designed with Kevlar springs and carbon fiber allow some athletes to run at near-Olympic levels. Equipped with a prosthetic arm, a patient can return to work, perform daily activities, or engage in hob and other activities that would be extremely difficult or impossible without the device.
While orthotics and prostheses differ primarily in function, they are often constructed using some of the same materials. Advanced plastics, Kevlar, neoprene rubber, and nylon are all common components of both types of devices. Strong, lightweight metals such as aluminum and titanium are becoming more common in these devices, taking the place of steel, which is much heavier. Both orthotics and prostheses are best used under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional to determine the best type of device for a particular use or patient.
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