Turn of Events

Children playing at the park

Imagine waking up one morning to the birds chirping, the sun shining through the window, and the sound of other children playing. You go downstairs, all excited ready to start your day and you mom asks you if you would like to go to the park. All excited you run back upstairs to get dressed for a fun filled day at the park. On the way there you think about how much fun you are going to have.

When you get the park and look out the car window you see a bunch of children running around an having a good time. Your mother unlocks the door and dart out and immediately ask the other children if you can join their game. As a kid you do not care what the other children are playing, you just want to have fun. First you play a game of kick ball, then maybe a game or two of freeze tag, followed up by an adventure on the playground.

Child who fell and hurt his leg

After a long day at the park, its time to go. Your moms yelling for you cause its getting late. A big, high jump sparks your interest and all you can think about is making the jump. You hear you mother yell your name one last time and you know its time to jump. Adrenaline pumping, you start running full speed toward the jump. While you flying through the air you feel invincible. As you hit the ground you feel and intense pain coming from you leg. You don't know what happened but all you know is that your mother is carrying you to the car and on her way to the emergency room.

Hospital Emergency Sign

 As you arrive at the hospital and see a large red Emergency sign, you know something bad has happened. Not being able to walk your mother carries you in and puts you in a wheel chair. Sitting in the waiting room with this pain is the worst but finally you hear the doctor say your name. After the doctor looks at your injuries he calls your mother out into the hallway to talk to her. When they return you look at your mother a realize that she is crying. The doctor looks at you and says "Well son the injuries to your leg are really bad. It's going to be hard to get you back to running and playing again but there is something we can do."

Child with a prosthetic leg

"If you would like we could make you part ROBOT! The other doctors and I can give you a whole new leg. You can decorate it however you want make it apart of you!"

After the doctor tells you this, you realize that this is going to be really cool! You think to yourself "I'll have an awesome new leg that I can decorate how I want it too look. I could put my favorite sports teams, or favorite color, or even with my favorite animals!" You look at the doctor and tell him yes, that sounds pretty cool!

The doctor then explains what exactly they are going to do. He tells you that they have to remove the leg that you have now (which wont hurt). The doctor tells you that following this step they are going to fit you for a prosthetic, which is a device used to replace another body part (1). He tells you that prosthetic are made of four different parts: the socket, pylon, joint, and foot (1).


The socket of the prosthetic is the part that attaches to your thigh where your other leg used to be. These pieces are made to fit any sort of shape or size. The main goal for doctors is to make this piece

Prosthetic Leg

so that it allows its wearer complete comfort and no pain (1). This is the part of the prosthetic that you can design yourself. You can make it almost every design imaginable.

Move down the leg, the next part is called joint. This part is basically just there to allow the wearer to bend the new leg. When you first get this "new leg" it takes time to get used to it and be able to move 100%. But after a little practice, you'll be back playing normally soon!

The next piece is called the pylon. This piece is mainly used as a bar to help hold the wearer up. Pylons are mainly made out of metal, plastic, and many other materials (1). The wearer can decorate this as well with mainly whatever they want.

The final piece of the puzzle is the piece that looks like a foot at the bottom. It is attached at the bottom for the user to be able to balance. Mainly this piece is determined by the height and shoe size of the person wearing the leg (1).

Now that you have your brand new leg, how does it feel? Does it hurt? What do your friends think of it? Are you excited to get back to playing? With this new leg you have a brand new start in life! You can do the same exact things in life you've done before, just with a new leg!



References:

(1) Mangera, T., Govender, G., Conning, M. (2015). Light metals for the functional requirements of developing world lower extremity paediatric prosthetics: A review of current material & technology trends. Material Science Forum, 828-829, 499-505. Retrieved from http://www.scietific.net/MSF.828-829.499