1. What are prosthetics?
A prosthesis is the artificial replacement of body parts, such as a bone, tooth, eye, hip, arm, knee, leg or joint, in case of injuries that cause permanent disabilities. The science and art of designing and creating prostheses is referred to as prosthetics.
2. What are the different types of prosthetics?
Based on the body part that requires replacement, prosthetics may be classified broadly as upper-extremity prostheses and lower-extremity prostheses. Transfemoral prosthesis involves the body above the knee, while transtibial involve below the knee prostheses. Transradial prosthesis is for the part below the elbow, while transhumeral is for the part above the elbow.
3. What does a prosthetist do?
A prosthetist or an orthotist is the healthcare professional responsible for designing prostheses. He or she is trained in measuring and designing prostheses. They work along with doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists for understanding the need of the patients.
4. What is the difference between prosthetics and prosthesis?
The basic difference is that prosthetics refers to the science or process of creating artificial body parts, and a prosthesis is the artificial part itself. In short, prosthetics is the technology and science that allows creating prosthesis.
5. Does insurance cover prosthetic devices?
The coverage is dependent on the type of insurance plan. Those who have health insurance will be covered for a portion of the costs related to prostheses that they require. However, not all plans would pay for prostheses. Other factors that influence coverage are the health insurance provider and the patient's pre-existing conditions.