Message from the Chair

Dear US-ISPO Members Past and Present,

In these challenging economic times, it is always difficult to know where our hard-earned dollars are best applied for the greater good. As a current or former member of ISPO, you have enjoyed the benefits of being part of the organization that represents leaders in the rehabilitation world - physicians, therapists, engineers, prosthetists and orthotists who are dedicated to enhancing prosthetic and orthotic care globally.

ISPO has been working with organizations around the globe to make certain that resources spent are assessed and are making real differences in people's lives. Recent articles in Prosthetics & Orthotics International (see end of this letter for references) have focused on patient outcomes to determine what approaches and techniques are best suited for the challenging and varied environments in the developing world.

We are now at the time of membership renewal and we need your continued or renewed support so that we may continue growing US-ISPO and its important mission through the current activities and directions. We are glad to announce that your membership can now easily be renewed online at: http://usispo.org/registration.asp

Some past and upcoming activities include:

Conferences: Reaching Beyond Our Borders 2009 will be in the Dominican Republic in late January 28-31. This meeting looks to be the largest one yet. Here we will be helping to train prosthetists, orthotists and rehabilitation professionals from across North and Latin America. Please check out the site: www.usispo.org/RBOB09/. The PacRim Conference for 2010 is set [insert dates, location here] and the call for abstracts will be coming out shortly.

Workshop: At the American Academy for Orthotists and Prosthetists National Meeting in Atlanta, the Barr Foundation and US-ISPO will be presenting a workshop on International Missions-What You Should Know Before You Go.

Don Bosco Scholarships: Historically, US ISPO has provided scholarships to Don Bosco University in El Salvador as a means to ensure high quality education for practitioners in the developing world. We aim to continue these efforts but need strong membership support so we can continue to help the next generation of practitioners.

Student Member Scholarships: The student scholarship program will be continued and students of U.S. CAAHEP accredited P&O schools will be offered an opportunity to explore their interests in international rehabilitation issues. Can you add a small amount in addition to your membership dues to support budding members in our society?

Component Recycling: In conjunction with MedShare International, the Barr Foundation and the MSPO program at Georgia Tech, US-ISPO launched the Prosthetic & Orthotic Componentry Clearinghouse or P.O.C.C. as a means to prevent needless waste of useable prosthetic and orthotic items and to enhance the availability of prosthetic and orthotic goods to trained personnel in the developing world. We have so far provided prosthetic and orthotic components to South America, Mexico, Central America and Africa with many more requests incoming. For more information see www.usispo.org/pocc/.

As you can see, our growing organization shows much enthusiasm and activity. We need your support and participation to continue our momentum. If you can give even some of your time or efforts, we can find ways for you to have a meaningful contribution.

Thank you for your membership and your dedication to helping others.

Regards,
Robert S. Kistenberg, MPH, CP, FAAOP
Chair,
United States National Member Society (www.usispo.org)
of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (www.ispoweb.org)

Recent publications showing results of developing world clinical services:

1. Jensen JS, Poetsma PA, Thanh NH. Sand-casting technique for trans-tibial prostheses. Prosthetics and Orthotics International 2005;29(2):165-175.
2. Jensen JS, Craig JG, Mtalo LB, Zelaya CM. Clinical field follow up of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)-Jaipur prosthetic technology for trans-tibial amputees. Prosthetics and Orthotics International 2004;28(3):230-244.
3. Jensen JS, Nilsen R, Zeffer J. Quality Benchmark for trans-tibial prostheses for low-income countries. Prosthetics and Orthotics International 2005;29(1):53-58.
4. Jensen JS, Raab W. Clinical field testing of ATLAS prosthetic system for trans-tibial amputees. Prosthetics and Orthotics International 2002;26(1):86-92.
5. Jensen JS, Raab W. Clinical field testing of trans-femoral prosthetic technologies: resin-wood and ICRC-polypropylene. Prosthetics and Orthotics International 2004;28(2):141-151.