Annie Crain
Resident Prothetist/Orthotist
“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” -Confucius
It has always been a goal of mine to never work a day in my life, so it was crucial to choose a career I loved. The Louisiana Tech Kinesiology Department was the initial spark that fueled me to become the Resident Prosthetist/Orthotist I am today.
After driving from my hometown of Houma, LA to tour every single university in the state, I arrived at LA Tech University. I chose LA Tech and its Kinesiology program to prepare me for my future career in prosthetics and orthotics. I carefully selected my curriculum so I would be qualified when applying for graduate school. The Kinesiology Department taught me to be diligent, resourceful, detail-oriented and empathetic towards others; qualities I attribute to my present day success.
I received my Master’s of Prosthetics and Orthotics from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in December of 2022. This 18-month program is centered on a specialized curriculum including hands-on experience with device fabrication, patient models, clinical rotations, and a clinical internship. After receiving my master’s degree, I was required to complete an additional 2-year prosthetic/orthotic residency to become board certified in order to see patients on my own.
Currently, I am a completing my first year of residency in orthotics followed by a year of prosthetics at Atlantic Prosthetics and Orthotics in Chapel Hill, NC. My residency at Atlantic P&O has provided me with the ability to become skilled in device selection, fabrication, and patient communication. I have the opportunity to learn from a multi-disciplinary team of experienced clinicians. I absolutely love my job, and couldn’t imagine another career path for myself.
My daily schedule is ever-changing, which makes work exciting. My first task of the day is to check the patient schedules. Patient encounters are usually initial evaluations or device fittings. In an initial evaluation, I will assess the patient’s range of motion, muscle strength, diagnosis and device prescription. Often, I can fit the patient with an off-the-shelf device if the product meets all of their clinical needs. Otherwise, additional measurements will be taken for the fabrication of a custom device.
Approximately three days of fabrication are needed to make a custom orthosis or prosthesis, most of which is completed during breaks between patient appointments. The fabrication process from start to finish of most devices typically includes: a cast of the affected area which is used to create a positive plaster model, modifying the positive model by sanding or carving the plaster to acquire the desired shape, then draping hot plastic or pouring resin over the positive model. The cooled plastic or resin lamination will then be cut and smoothed into a finished product. At a custom device fitting, alignment angles can be adjusted or plastic can be trimmed or heat molded to provide a more optimal fit.
A career in prosthetics and orthotics fulfills my innate need to create, but also my desire to enhance the lives of others. I enjoy my time in the workshop, but seeing a patient stand up and walk for the first time after following them through their entire clinical journey is truly a heartfelt experience and the best part of my job – pure magic every time!
For more information on prosthetics and orthotics:
Prosthetist: healthcare professional who makes and fits artificial limbs (prostheses) for people with disabilities. This includes artificial legs and arms for people who have had amputations due to conditions such as cancer, diabetes, or injury.
Orthotist: healthcare professional who makes and fits braces and splints (orthoses) for people who need added support for body parts that have been weakened by injury, disease, or disorders of the nerves, muscles, or bones.
(In medical practice, these specialties are often paired)
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/orthotist-and-prosthetist
The Exponential Factor 