 |
| |
| Photos | |
 |
Matthew Pirrello, a sophomore and Air Force ROTC cadet at Ohio University, takes a break after finishing wheelchair basketball practice May 5, 2011, at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Cadet Pirrello, a member of the Air Force team, will be competing in swimming, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball at the 2011 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo. His right leg was amputated above the knee as a result of a free-fall jump accident. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Jessica Hines)
|
Download HiRes
|
|
|
|
Assistive technology gives wounded warrior second chances
Posted 5/16/2011
Email story
Print story
by Airman 1st Class Jessica Hines
21st Space Wing Public Affairs
5/16/2011 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) -- Despite restricted abilities, this year's athletes participating in the 2011 Warrior Games here will boast strength, speed, stamina and a whole lot of will power as they strive to reach higher and celebrate each other the best way they know how, through the power of sport.
Because of the world of assistive technology, the term used to describe technology which helps rehabilitate, adapt and improve quality of life for people with disabilities, many have been introduced or re-introduced to sports they otherwise would not have approached before.
After surviving injuries sustained from a free fall jump, 19-year-old Matthew Pirrello, a sophomore and Air Force ROTC cadet at Ohio University, became an amputee above his right knee. The challenges of adapting to a prosthetic leg, designed specifically for him, have not kept this young cadet from pursing his goals. New designs in prostheses have enabled above-the-knee amputees to cope with small obstacles many take for granted.
There was a time when above-the-knee amputees couldn't go down steps foot over foot, but with the new developments in prosthetics, the ability to move more easily is becoming a reality, Cadet Pirrello said.
This advancement is due to a cylinder within the prosthetic leg which compresses to adjust for weight distribution and allows for more fluid movement. This means going down a step is smoother, whereas before a person with a prosthetic leg had to take one step at a time, now they can go from step to step and the prosthetic leg will bend and move with the person's own movement.
Over time the microprocessor within the prosthetic leg will learn and adjust to Cadet Pirrello's movement as it learns his body and weight distribution, and he, in turn, learns to move with it, making even greater adjustments in the future.
"When you're walking and it's bent, if you put pressure on it, it will sense you're putting all this weight on it and will stiffen up," Cadet Pirrello said. "It's not just going to give out on you. It's the most secure leg. I've never fallen with it."
Another advanced feature is the ability to change the modes of the prosthetic leg.
"If you bounce on the toe three times, it'll vibrate and change modes to free swing," he said. "So when you're riding a bike and it's in free swing mode, there's no compression on the cylinder and you can bring the peddle back up on the bike without it stiffening up. You can change modes like that to go ride a bike, or on the rowing machine at the gym or on the stationary bike... stuff like that you don't think of."
For more information about the Warrior Games visit: http://usparalympics.org |
|
|
