I am an AK amputee who is very active. I walk several miles a day, and on a very small residual limb with a full-suction socket. When my prosthetist Wayne Koniuk retired I really struggled to find someone to replace Wayne's excellent work. I first met Howard of Howard Orthopedics at Kaiser, and eventually worked with him after having a poor experience with two other prosthetists. In many ways, Howard's work exceeded any other prosthetist's I've worked with in terms of performance. I now regularly walk more than five miles a day (a first for me); and this past week I walked on a five mile hike with a 350 foot climb up the side of a mountain. I've never been able to do that before. Howard even taught me how to run on my new socket, which I am doing more. He and his staff inspire confidence, and they are a VERY professional company. I also need to mention that this is one of the most diverse working environments I've seen at a prosthetics company -- There are women of color co-owners, women on the staff, etc. And I've noticed that Howard's patients span a wide range. It's a very welcoming place.
All that said, I have only one criticism that I need to pass on to people who may come here: the current staff in the shop where the prosthetics are made (I can't remember the names) are a bit less experienced than at many other places. They are noticeably much younger than shop staff at other places I've seen. So the craftsmanship and aesthetics are not at the same level as some other places where you have someone in the back of house with 20 or 30 years of experience. When Howard does some of the work himself, it is at a much noticeably higher standard. I assume this will get better with time. Anyway, if the aesthetics and craftsmanship of the socket are of paramount importance to you, I suggest asking Howard if he would make the socket himself.
In the end, if you're active, difficult to fit or an AK, I would try a socket design with Howard. He knows what he is doing. read more
