September 2012 Vol.

9 Issue 9

A Step Ahead Opens New Office in Massachusetts

A Step Ahead Prosthetics is proud to announce that on October 1, we will be opening a new facility conveniently located in the Boston metropolitan area in Burlington, Massachusetts. Our new facility will be fully equipped and staffed to provide the same extraordinary prosthetic services to patients that we have been providing for over ten years in our New York location.

Step Aheads New Facility in Burlington, Massachusetts

Our new facility will be lead by Bob Emerson, C.P. Bob is a former world champion in Paralympic skiing and brings over nineteen years of experience in prosthetics to A Step Ahead. The new facility is located at 21 A Street in Burlington. To set up an appointment at our new office, please call 781-365-1369.
Bob Emerson, C.P. The new office will provide the following services: Microprocessor Controlled Knees Microprocessor Controlled Foot & Ankle Systems Bionic Prosthetics Custom Sports Prosthetics Pediatric Prosthetics In House Prosthetic Training Skin Tones System (Custom Silicone Covers) Team A Step Ahead Junior Team A Step Ahead Insurance Task Force Research & Development A Step Aheads new facility is certified to provide a wide variety of products: Genium Knee Ottobock C-leg - Ottobck Biom Power foot - iWalk Rheo Knee - Ossur Proprio Foot & Ankle System - Ossur Michelangelo Hand - Ottobock iLimb Touch Bionics Wave Foot Fillauer KXO6 Endolite

We provide prosthetic components from all major manufactures.

Patient of the Month

Seven-year-old Yaakov Bertram from Cedarhurst, NY has been selected to run in the Pasadena HalfMarathon in Pasadena, CA in February of 2013. Yaakov was selected to run with Team HASC as part of their fundraising program for Camp HASC, a summer camp that Yaakov attends every year. Camp HASC, the summer program of the Hebrew Academy for Special Children, is located in Parksville, NY and provides a seven-week program for children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. As the camp is such a specialized program, it requires a tremendous amount of funding, which is why Team HASC and Yaakov are raising the necessary funds for Camp HASC. For more information about the camp go to: http://www.hasc.net/camp/index.php The link below will take you directly to Yaakov's sponsor page. All donations are tax- deductible. http://www.teamhasc.com/fundraise?fcid=21010 2

Dick Traum Recognized As a 2012 CNN Hero

A Step Ahead's patient Dick Traum(Above Knee), president and founder of the Achilles International has been recognized as a 2012 CNN Hero, Achilles international is a non profit organization that's mission is to enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics. Dick started the organization after being the first amputee to run the New York City Marathon in 1976. The CNN All- star tribute with be on Sunday December 2 Live at 9pm ET on CNN. links to the CNN story about Dick and his video: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/2012 .heroes/dick.traum.html http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2012/09/ 13/cnn-heroes-traum.cnn

Prosthetic Art of the Month

Art is an expression of the creator's inner-self. Art has no boundaries and is understood through all languages. For her new prosthesis, Jennifer Bergman chose the intricate and flashy Ed Hardy design. For more information on how our prosthetic staff can work with you to personalize your prosthesis, call us at 516-681-3484.

Yaakov Bertram (Above Knee)

For more information on how our prosthetic staff can work with you to personalize your prosthesis, call us at 516-681-3484.

Larry Mantilla Continues to Hone His Martial Arts Skills

Six-year-old Larry Mantilla, a student of Jiu Jitsu, is training hard to receive his yellow belt. His father reports that participating in the martial arts program has made him stronger and more focused. He also has gained better control and balance of his body through his participation in martial arts and is able to train with and without his leg. In addition, Larry has started playing soccer playing defense and goalie.

Oscar was not the first athlete with a disability to compete in the Olympics. An archer from New Zealand with spinal cord injury competed in 1984, and a partially blind runner from the United States, Marla Runyan, competed in track at the 2000 and the 2004 games. In addition, Amy Palmiero-Winters (Below Knee) of A Step Ahead was the first amputee runner to compete in an able-bodied world championship at the 2010 twenty-four-hour ultramarathon world championships. Will the Paralympics ever be viewed on an equal level with the Olympics? Will the athletic accomplishments of athletes with disabilities ever be looked upon as equal to those of their ablebodied counterparts? In many parts of the world, through the many hours of live media coverage of these recent games, millions of people viewed the stories and the triumphs of the 4,000 athletes at the Paralympics. Unfortunately, in the United States there was extremely limited television coverage of the games. The NBC network, which broadcasted hundreds of hours of live and tapedelayed coverage of the Olympic games, only showed four one-hour recaps of the Paralympics. It appears that the United States is far behind many other countries in the support of and recognition of athletes with disabilities. What is needed in the United States is a long-term effort on two fronts: education about the Paralympic movement in all forms of media and press especially through broadcast television, and an improvement in the grassroots development of athletes with disabilities through local, regional, and national programs that are funded by the national governing bodies of sports and the United States Olympic Committee. In the last three Olympic games, the United States was ranked first in overall medal count. In the last three Paralympic Games, the US was ranked fourth and third. The number of medals is not what is important in the Olympics and Paralympics, but it is indicative of the quality and level of the athletes from that country and the support that those athletes receive from their countries.

Larry Mantilla (Above Knee)

The Paralympics & The Olympics Will They Ever Be Equal? (A Commentary)
The recent London 2012 Paralympic Games had the largest number of countries, participants, and spectators, as well as the largest television and Internet viewing audience in the forty-year history of the worlds largest sporting event for athletes with disabilities. Two weeks prior to the Paralympics, Oscar Pistorious, the now famous bilateral below knee amputee from South Africa, became the first amputee to compete at the Olympic games. Media throughout the world covered his story.

For athletes with disabilities at all levels of sport to be viewed as equal, there must be a change in perception by the public and the media, especially in the United States. The power of the media to influence and change perception was proven at the London Paralympics. It appears that we have a long way to go in the US to show to the world and to the millions of people with disabilities that the Paralympics are truly parallel to the Olympics. The small numbers of elite athletes that compete at the Paralympic games have an opportunity to set an example for the millions of people throughout the world with disabilities that they can live their life without limitations.

confidence never before seen in upper limb prosthetics. In order to achieve its incredibly natural movement patterns, the hand is equipped with two drive units. The main drive is responsible for gripping movements and force, while the thumb drive allows the thumb to be moved in an additional axis of movementincluding an open palm and lateral pinch. The thumb, index and middle finger are actively driven, while the ring and little fingers passively and naturally follow the other fingers. The Michelangelo Hand helps users more easily integrate everyday movements such as cooking, drivingeven playing cardsinto their everyday life.

The Michelangelo Hand from Otto Bock Now Available at A Step Ahead
Few parts of the human body are as important and complex as the hand. Only the perfect interplay of nerves, tendons, a total of 27 bones, 39 muscles and 36 joints allows people to handle their everyday tasks. The new Michelangelo Hand from Otto Bock is the most technologically advanced and functional prosthetic hand available. And as the heart of the new Axon-Bus prosthetic system, it offers unrivalled benefits and new freedom of movement for the user. This is our vision of innovationtechnology for the benefit of people.

The PowerFoot BiOM By iWalk

A Step Ahead Prosthetics has been officially designated as an iWalk Certified Bionics Center. This designation has been awarded to select prosthetics facilities in the world. The highlyanticipated iWalk PowerFoot BiOM, the worlds first bionic lower leg system to replace the action of the foot, Achilles tendon, and calf muscle to result in a near-normalized gait for amputees. The PowerFoot BiOM generates power during plantar flexion, propelling the prosthesis forward. With the PowerFoot BiOM users indicate less pain, more energy and the feeling of having their leg back. They report less fatigue, increase in daily activities, and fewer pressures inside of the socket and more stability on uneven terrain. The result is a healthier patient with a more active lifestyle. For more information on the Biom you can also visit us at: www.astepaheadonline.com/iwalkinforequest.htm l

The Michelangelo Hand

The Michelangelo hand has a thumb that can be separately positioned using muscle signals offering more hand positions than any other prosthetic hand available. It gives users ease and

The PowerFoot Biom By iWalk

The Genium Prosthetic Knee in Stock at A Step Ahead

A Step Ahead is taking appointments for individuals with above-knee limb loss to test-drive the Genium Knee, the newest prosthetic knee from world-renowned prosthetics manufacturer Otto Bock.

London Paralympic Results

Winter and Summer Paralympian Alison Jones (Above Knee) won three medals in cycling. In the road time trial, Alison won the gold medal. In the road race and in the individual pursuit on the velodrome, she won bronze. Her gold medal in the time trial made Alison the first U.S. woman to win gold medals in the winter and summer Paralympic games in individual events.

The Genium Knee

The Genium Knee closely mimics a natural gait, reducing the mental effort required of users when changing speeds. It offers many features including: negotiating stairs leg-over-leg, intuitively avoiding obstacles, walking backwards, five-day battery life on a single charge, and five additional usercontrolled modes. For more information on the Genium Knee and to set up an appointment to test-drive the Genium call our office at 516-6813484

Alison Jones (Above Knee)

Jessica Long (Bilateral Below Knee) had a very successful Paralympics in London, winning five gold medals, two silver, and one bronze while setting two world records and three Paralympic records. With her haul of eight medals, Jessica leaves London with the highest medal total on the US team. Below is the list of Jessicas accomplishments in London:

400-meter freestyle Gold World record 100-meter butterfly - Gold Paralympic record 100 meter breaststroke - Gold Paralympic record 200-meter individual medley Gold Paralympic record 100 meter freestyle Gold World record 100-meter backstrokeSilver 4 x100 meter freestyle relay -Silver 4 x 100 medley relay Bronze
Jamol Pilgrim (Above Knee) at the opening ceremonies of the London Paralympics

Itzik Gaby cycles 365 miles in European Alps Bike Race

Jessica Long (Bilateral Below Knee)

Itzik Gaby (Below Knee)

Jessica Long (Bilateral Below Knee) celebrating one of her gold medals

In his first Paralympic games, Jamol Pilgrim (Above Knee) from Antigua competed in the 100meter dash. Coming off an injury to his knee weeks prior to the games. Jamol is looking forward to returning home to Antigua to begin his training for upcoming competitions and the next Paralympics in Rio de Janerio, Brazil in 2016.

Itzik Gaby, one of A Step Aheads patients from its ongoing program with the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, completed the Trans Alp World Competition a 365-mile bike race through the mountains crossing Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland on his new cycling leg. Congratulations from all of us at A Step Ahead, Itzik! Below is an account of the race in Itziks own words: I just returned from 8 grueling days in the Alps, crossing four countries in 8 days, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. It was a mountain bike competition in which we rode more than 600

KM (365 miles) and climbed 21,000 meters (68,900 feet) in 8 days. This competition is considered to be one of the toughest in the world for mountain bike.

Amputee Support Groups

The ASPIRE Support Group meetings are on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm at the Hospital for Special Surgery located at 535 East 70th Street, NY. For more information about the ASPIRE support group meetings, contact Carmen Faris at cvicfaris@aol.com, 718924-8427 New York-Presbyterian Hospital Amputee Education and Support Group meets every first Friday of the month 10:00 AM -12:00 PM at Milstein Hospital 8 Garden North Dayroom (8th floor rehab unit) Milstein Hospital Building 177 Fort Washington Ave. For more information, contact Jackee Callender at 212-305-8483. The Long Island Amputee Support Group meets the first Saturday of each month at South Side Hospital, 301 East Main Street in Bayshore. Contact Jodi Adler at 631-968-3330. Rusk Rehab Amputee Support Group (34th Street/1st avenue) meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM. For more information about the Rusk Rehab Support Group, contact Dr. Jeff Heckman at 631-873-6223 or by email at: jtheckman@yahoo.com

Amy Palmiero-Winters Runs Another 100 Mile Ultramarathon

After recovering from the grueling Badwater ultramarathon in July, Amy Palmiero-Winters traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to compete in the Lean Horse Hundred mile race. Amy finished the 100-mile trail run in 5th place with a time of 22 hours and 45 minutes.

Amy Palmiero-Winters (Below Knee)

Team A Step Ahead Upcoming Events

Westchester Triathlon
On September 22 and 23, Team A Step Ahead and Junior Team A Step Ahead will be racing at the Jarden Westchester Triathlon in Rye, New York. For adults, the event is the Olympicdistance triathlon consisting of a .9-mile swim, 25-mile bike, and 6.2-mile run. The junior athletes will be competing in the 7-10 age group, which consists of a 75-yard swim, 2-mile bike, and 1 mile run, and in the 11-14 age group with a 150-yard swim, 4-mile bike and 1 mile run.

Amputee Mobility Clinics in New York City

On Monday nights from 7-8 pm, David Balsley, P.T. directs the Amputee Mobility Clinic in the 3rd floor gymnasium at Recreation Center 54, 348 E. 54th St, between 1st and 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022. On Wednesday evenings at 7 PM, Dave also works with amputees interested in outdoor mobility training in Central Park at 90th Street and 5th Ave. Please call Dave at 917-620-8107 if you plan to attend the Wednesday night outdoor clinic in Central Park.