1.What is the problem that you are committed to solving?
Lower extremity amputation is a major disability affecting millions of children and adolescents worldwide. Reasons for lower limb amputation amongst children include congenital defects, disease, and trauma resulting from vehicular accidents, natural disasters, and landmines which plague many developing countries. In developed countries, an estimated 0.1% of the population or more than 1 million people suffer from limb-deficiencies or amputations and children make up about one quarter of this population. Only 5-10% of amputees in the developing world currently get access to a prosthetic device. Access to effective prosthetic services and technologies is seen as a key step towards successful rehabilitation that brings with it economic benefits, and in the case of children ensures a typical developmental sequence and healthy transition to adulthood. There is a lack of appropriate technologies for children because many prosthetic companies do not consider pediatric markets a high priority, since greater profitability can be gained from developing and selling high-tech and high-cost devices such as microprocessor knees to adults. The need for better knee joints as initially identified by the findings of a State-of-Science meeting on the status of prosthetic technologies for developing countries stating that “there is no appropriate (knee joint) stance-phase control technology available at this time” continues to be supported by more recent studies.
2.What is the solution you are proposing?
Our novel knee mechanisms have been extensively tested in clinical trials and recently developed into a product (the All-Terrain Knee shown in photo on right) that is now provided globally through LegWorks (http://www.legworks.com/), a social venture serving the needs of all individuals with amputations regardless of their ability to pay. The All-Terrain Knee technology has been shown to significantly improve important aspects of mobility compared to existing knee joints; this includes providing high-level stability to reduce falls, and a less tiring gait. The All-Terrain Knee became commercially available in early 2016. However, the current version of the All-Terrain Knee is designed for adults and is too large for use with children under the age of 12 years. The solution we are creating is the development of a pediatric version of the All-Terrain Knee, which we already have successfully created an initial prototype of.
3. How will your solution change the world?
Our proposal is different from existing programs because no one else is targeting this population in a meaningful manner in the developing world. Given the high-costs associated with research and development, there is little economic incentive for prosthetic manufacturers to develop more functional prosthetic technologies to sell at an affordable cost. LegWorks can leverage the patented technologies that make the All-Terrain Knee the most functional mechanical knee and develop the best pediatric knee for the market. We already have partnerships with impactful and accountable organizations that successfully fit amputees in the developing world and our multi-tiered pricing model will allow them utilize our pediatric All-Terrain Knee to change the lives of children around the world through restored mobility.