Readers Response #3

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The Fillauer product webpage (n.d.) and Supplier Partner product webpage (n.d.) present the AllPro with Direct Mount Pyramid prosthetic foot’s various features and functions, highlighting each of them and how they play a unique part.

 

The AllPro's functionality is designed with active users in mind, offering great versatility and dynamic performance. It allows amputees to partake in a variety of activities, including jogging, walking, and sports like basketball and tennis (Fillauer AllPro Foot, 2017).

 

The prosthetic features a carbon composite architecture of the foot that provides smooth plantar and dorsiflexion, absorbing and returning energy efficiently to accommodate high-impact exercises as well as daily wear (Fillauer, n.d.). Among the features is the AllPro's rocker toe, which facilitates effortless rollover and results in more fluid, low-effort movements. The exact alignment adjustments provided by the RPI pyramid adapter allow for a more customized fit through optimizing alignments and performances for adult transtibial (TT) and transfemoral (TF) amputees and the multiaxial function capability improves the user’s stability on rough terrain. Furthermore, the prosthetic's lightweight design (15.9 oz) ensures strength and longevity by supporting up to 330lbs or 149kgs (SPS, n.d.).

 

According to the Supplier Partner webpage, AllPro is categorized under K3 and K4 in the K-level system, which is a rating system used to reflect a patient's potential for rehabilitation. The method, which ranges from 0 to 4, rates a person's likelihood of using a prosthetic device if they have one that suits them well and have undergone the necessary rehabilitation to use it correctly (Do you know, 2013). For example, the patient may be classified as a K1 ambulator if limited to walking at a set pace on level surfaces, a K2 walker if they can climb and descend stairs and walk up and down curbs, a K3 ambulator if he can walk farther and change his pace for that distance or, a K4 level if they’re able to perform simple athletic movements (Do you know, 2013). 

 

Simpler prosthetic leg models typically cost $5,000, but more intricate models can approach up to $70,000. Many insurance plans will pay for the prosthetic leg and additional treatments in full or in part, despite their high cost (Lawall Prosthetics and Orthotics, n.d.). The prices of prosthetics, in general, are high but also necessary as they not only cover the hardware, due to the uniqueness of each patient and the prosthetic foot that best meets their needs, but also several years' worth of the clinician's limb-care expertise (Larry, 2024), justifying the high pricing of the Fillauer’s AllPro with Direct Mount Pyramid.

 

To support the assertion that the AllPro is among the most popular prostheses available, a comparison with Ottobock, another top brand, is carried out. Similar to Fillauer, Ottobock is renowned for emphasizing innovation and adding new features to its prosthetic devices to meet end users' changing needs (Akhil, 2022).

  

In terms of weight and load capacity, the Allpro weighs about 19 oz or an estimated 538 grams because of the lightweight design. Furthermore, enabling the prosthetic to support up to 330lbs or 149kgs of the user’s weight (SPS, n.d.) as compared the Ottobock’s 1E91 The Runner which can only support up to an estimated 229lbs or 104 kg of the user’s weight (Ottobock, n.d.).

 

Furthermore, the Allpro also uses a carbon C-spring pylon which enables a storage and release of maximum energy during movement, while fixed with a special wave spring foot plate which absorbs shock and terrain compliance during movements where when the heel strikes the ground, bridging the gap between everyday and sports prosthetics in a single product (Fillauer, n.d.).

 

However, though the Allpro is designed to allow users to participate in a wide variety of sports, it does not focus on specialized sports such as track & field where running requires a high absorption and high return of energy. Therefore, in this case, users or athletes would prefer Ottobock’s 1E91 The Runner, which is specifically designed and optimized for running, compared to the Fillauer’s AllPro with Direct Mount Pyramid, which is designed with an objective for everyday use and casual sports.

 

In conclusion, though the AllPro is not designed to absorb and return a high amount of energy needed for specialized sports such as track & field, it does offer users to perform both basic everyday and athletic movements compared to prosthetics. Also, because of its lightweight design, the Allpro can support up to 149kgs of the user’s weight, this means that the Allpro can accommodate users whose weight equals to or lower than 149kg, compared to Ottobock 1E91 which can only support up to 104kg of weight.

 

 

 

 


 

References:

(In alphabetical order)

 

Akhil Singh Rawat (9th November 2022), "Global Prosthetics and Orthotics Market | Top Prosthetics and Orthotics Companies – Ken Research", LinkedIn.

- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/global-prosthetics-orthotics-market-top-companies-ken-singh-rawat/

 

AllPro with Direct Mount Pyramid (n.d.), Fillauer.

-  https://fillauer.com/products/allpro-with-direct-mount-pyramid/

 

AllPro K3 - K4 Foot with Direct Mount Pyramid (n.d.) Supplier Partner.

- https://www.spsco.com/allpro-1.html

 

AllPro with Direct Mount Pyramid Manual (n.d.) Fillauer.

- https://fillauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/M065-AllPro-DM-Manual-10-24.pdf

 

inMotion (5th September/October 2013), “Do You Know Your K-Level?”, Amputee Coalition.

-https://www.amputee-coalition.org/resources/your-k-level/#:~:text=Sue%20%7C%20K%2Dlevels%20are%20a,to%20use%20the%20device%20properly.

 

Larry, B. (29th February 2024), “Playing the Market: Why Do Prosthetics Cost So Much?”, Amplitude Article.

-https://livingwithamplitude.com/article/why-prosthetics-cost-so-much-amputees/#:~:text=Several%20people%20observed%20that%20the,down%2C%E2%80%9D%20noted%20one%20commenter.

 

Lawall Prosthetics and Orthotics (n.d.), Prosthetic Leg Costs

-https://www.lawall.com/blog/how-much-does-a-prosthetic-leg-cost

 

 Low Extremity Review. (2017), Fillauer AllPro Foot

-https://lermagazine.com/products/fillauer-allpro-foot


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