Ukraine Soldiers Get Prosthetics and Care From 5K Miles Away

What You Should Know:

– Protez Foundation, the non-profit helping Ukrainian children, soldiers and civilians who have lost their limbs during the war to get free quality prosthetics in the US, today announced they have partnered with OneStep, an innovative platform for digital physical therapy using pioneering science that turns any smartphone into a clinical-grade motion analysis lab, to provide remote care for their patients.

– Protez Foundation is committed to helping rehabilitate and promote the opportunity for a normal life to Ukrainian soldiers, civilians and children, who have suffered limb loss during the war – its goal is to raise money to support prosthetic treatment and rehabilitation. The average cost of treating one patient is $15,000, and the average time spent in the US for each patient is 3-4 weeks. Before the end of the year, Protez Foundation will have helped over 30 Ukrainians in need of a prosthetic.

Extending Delivery of Care By Monitoring Prosthetic Function Via the OneStep AppS

With OneStep’s app, when a person takes a walk with their smartphone in their pocket, even a 30-second walk (no wearables or equipment needed), the app collects a set of gait measurements. This allows for consistent remote monitoring in a patient’s natural environment and the ability to track multiple changes in motion over time. OneStep is enabling Protez Foundation to extend therapy and care outside of the clinic – with no boundaries, so they can reach patients wherever they are. OneStep’s gait analysis is the first to capture gait in a natural setting, and its ease of use contributes to making the OneStep gait database the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

“For months, we have been doing prosthetic operations, fittings and treatment plans and then sending patients home with no way to track their progress to determine if and how their treatment plans should be adjusted,” said Yakov Gradinar, certified prosthetist and orthotist and chief medical director, Protez Foundation. “The partnership with OneStep is a game changer – it rounds out our efforts, enabling us to easily stay connected with our patients and get a 360-degree view of their movement from thousands of miles away.”

As of November 2022, Protez Foundation has received 600+ applications; however, the real need is much larger. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy, there are about 12,000 amputees currently registered and awaiting prosthetics. Therefore, Protez Foundation is working towards the goal to bring between 10-30 people a month for prosthetics.

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