{"39647":{"#nid":"39647","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Breaking Down, Building Up","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy collecting donated, unused and unwanted items, School of Applied Physiology Research Scientist Rob Kistenberg and students are working to remove significant amounts of material from the waste stream, all while helping provide self-sufficiency and dignity for people in developing nations.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Prosthetic and Orthotic Component Clearinghouse, or POCC (pronounced \u0022pahk-see\u0022), in Decatur takes in used or unwanted prosthetic pieces. Housed in the MedShare facility near Flat Shoals Road, POCC allows students to break down the devices into their component parts, which are available at a reduced fee to physicians and prosthetics technicians traveling to international clinics. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Kistenberg, coordinator of the school\u0027s Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program, prosthetics consist of artificial limbs that work in place of missing or unformed limbs or body parts. Orthotics are external braces that help strengthen muscles or treat deformities. Typically bulkier, prosthetics occupy more space than orthotics and tend to be more expensive. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEstablished by the U.S. International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (US-ISPO), POCC started in July 2007. \u0022Our main goal was to prevent orthotics and prosthetics from being thrown away.\u0022 said Kistenberg, chair of the US-ISPO. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsed or unwanted items are sent to POCC at MedShare International\u0027s Decatur warehouse, where volunteers organize orthotics and break down prosthetics into their basic components, which are then stored. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClinicians or physicians traveling to developing nations can either collect the parts at the warehouse or can request the parts be shipped to them. A nominal warehouse handling fee and shipping are charged to the group or individual requesting parts. The application process, Kistenberg says, ensures that services providing the requested device are not already available in the patient\u0027s country or region, so POCC does not adversely compete with local businesses. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If there\u0027s local industry or facilities already in the area, we may seek to set up a partnership with them,\u0022 he said. The group also works to ensure that the level of local services provided for prosthetics care and maintenance is in line with the equipment that is provided. \u0022We request follow-up information from our volunteers to check that everything is operating aboveboard,\u0022 Kistenberg said. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOld and worn parts are recycled, if possible, or discarded. With every prosthetic, the socket-where the prosthesis connects to the limb-is usually made from plastic or carbon fiber and formed to fit the specific patient. \u0022Older components are recycled, while others have gone to MedShare International for [its] use,\u0022 Kistenberg said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe organization currently has three tons in inventory, and another six tons have been sent out. The organization gets its materials from three sources: Individuals donate their unused or old prosthetics, and facilities and manufacturers will donate their overstock.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKistenberg says that shipments of components have been used by professionals in their visits to clinics in Belize, Honduras, Sudan, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nigeria and Mexico. Specialists make requests for components, which are patient-specific, according to master\u0027s degree student Taavy Miller. \u0022They [will give us] a list asking for [the] specific parts.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMiller is a member of the Promoting Orthotics and Prosthetics (POP) student organization, which has been on campus for three years and has 20 members. The organization works to create \u0022opportunities for service, outreach, education and leadership.\u0022 During the academic semesters, student volunteers help organize the donations and assist at other events, including the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists, the Amputee Coalition of America, TEAM Buzz and Blaze Sports. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I always have been interested in the medical or physical therapy field and in international humanitarian work,\u0022 she said. She says she regularly volunteered at her local children\u0027s hospital and the Veterans Health Administration hospitals. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKistenberg serves as clinical director of Sonrie Ministries Inc. in the Dominican Republic, and works with other clinics in Central America. \u0022I like working with my hands, and I wanted to help people,\u0022 he said. POCC came about because of his wish to extend that help across international borders. \u0022Anyone can have access to these materials, as long as they meet certain criteria.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDonors have sent POCC various prosthetic legs and arms and several orthotics. Kistenberg says 80 to 90 percent of the knee joints from the legs are not usable. \u0022We don\u0027t have any way to test them,\u0022 he said, referring to the more advanced models. POCC chooses not to send items to other countries where the technology is completely out of the realm of experience for local practitioners. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESometimes the more advanced items will be sent for use in educational institutions abroad. At the other end of the spectrum, some items received are real \u0022museum pieces,\u0022 as Kistenberg describes them. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverall, through POCC students are able to learn much about the items from their time breaking the objects down. \u0022[With working here], some items we learn about before we go into a specific class,\u0022 Miller said. \u0022It\u0027s really great, from a learning opportunity.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKistenberg said the organization\u0027s main priority is placing the inventory online. Those interested in procuring parts are able to apply either through POCC or the MedShare Web site.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"The Prosthetic and Orthotic Component Clearinghouse, or POCC (pronounced \u201cpahk-see\u201d\u009d), in Decatur takes in used or unwanted prosthetic pieces to break down the devices into their component parts, which are available at a reduced fee to physicians and prosthetics technicians traveling to international clinics.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Group recycles prosthetic parts for use in other nations"}],"uid":"27191","created_gmt":"2009-07-27 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:25","author":"Robert Nesmith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"39648":{"id":"39648","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech School of Applied Physiology","body":null,"created":"1449174110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:21:50","changed":"1475894260","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:37:40","alt":"Georgia Tech School of Applied Physiology","file":{"fid":"189685","name":"tbo09491.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbo09491_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbo09491_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":200486,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbo09491_2.jpg?itok=SI0iKwyq"}},"39649":{"id":"39649","type":"image","title":"Prosthetic and Orthotic Component Clearinghouse, P","body":null,"created":"1449174110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:21:50","changed":"1475894260","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:37:40","alt":"Prosthetic and Orthotic Component Clearinghouse, P","file":{"fid":"189684","name":"tkf09147.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tkf09147_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tkf09147_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":171686,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tkf09147_2.jpg?itok=baataq7v"}}},"media_ids":["39648","39649"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.usispo.org\/pocc","title":"Prosthetic and Orthotic Component Clearinghouse (POCC)"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ap.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Applied Physiology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"1884","name":"Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics"},{"id":"1886","name":"MedShare International"},{"id":"1885","name":"POCC"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ERobert Kistenberg\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchool of Applied Physiology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rob.kistenberg@ap.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EContact Robert Kistenberg\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6269\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rob.kistenberg@ap.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}