Adriana Cruz - Student Blog 8/05/26

This week marked the end of Prosthetic Management of the Lower Limb I! To wrap up the course, we delivered the total surface bearing (TSB) sockets we fabricated for our patient models. After completing each step of the process—from evaluating and casting our patients to modifying, fabricating, fitting, and aligning their prostheses—it was rewarding to see the final devices come together. This project gave us the opportunity to apply everything we learned throughout the course while continuing to build our confidence in patient care and prosthetic fabrication.

We are now beginning Orthotic Management of the Spine, our final class of the Summer 2026 semester! During this course, we will learn about the anatomy and biomechanics of the spine, evaluate posture and spinal alignment, and explore different orthotic treatment options. In the lab, we will fabricate a custom bivalve TLSO, practice fitting prefabricated spinal and cervical orthoses, and learn more about scoliosis, cranial asymmetry, and spinal trauma. We will also practice measuring Cobb angles and blueprinting orthotic designs from X-rays.

It is hard to believe we are already starting the last class of our second semester. We are excited to continue developing our clinical and fabrication skills while learning about an entirely new area of orthotic care!

-Teal Team 12