ABSTRACT
This chapter is directed to a variety of audiences for diverse purposes. Primarily it is addressed to professors of bioengineering and of medical specialties like orthopedic and general surgery or physical medicine, all concerned in varying ways with improving prosthetics or orthotics services to amputees or brace wearers. To a secondary extent, through these professors, the review is addressed to postdoctoral and graduate students, to residents and interns, and to research fellows. Another purpose of the present review, though, is to assist the relatively sophisticated workers already in this field in selecting from among the rapidly growing masses of literature a relatively manageable number of key articles, useful references, and clues as to major problems. As with most new developments in prosthetics and orthotics, evaluation is a difficult, time-consuming task. Another outgrowth of experience in limb prosthetics is the use of prothetics and orthotics principles in the treatment of fractures of the long bones of the limbs, especially the lower.
