Welcome To Amputee Care Center
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On 20 October, VRT NWS broadcast a TV report on a partnership between Handicap International and Spronken Orthopaedics, of which the Amputee Care Centre is a part. Tom Daniëls, technical manager at Spronken, explained why we’re taking part: “Many parts of a discarded prosthesis are still perfectly usable.”
Do you wear a prosthetic leg yourself? If so, you might still have an old one lying around. We’d be happy to explain what you can do with it.
Contact us by completing the Contact Form or by calling +32 (0)470 500 888. We are at your service.
A prosthesis does not last a lifetime, nor is it intended to. Your residual limb changes over time. Your movement patterns and daily activities also change. A prosthesis that once fitted perfectly may, after a few years, cause pressure points or feel less stable. Furthermore, moving parts can show signs of wear and tear over time. That is why most prosthesis users in Belgium and the Netherlands receive a new one every three to five years. We ensure that every prosthesis remains in perfect condition. We guarantee this through our prosthesis maintenance programme.
Thanks to our healthcare system, prosthesis users are entitled to a new one, even whilst their old arm or leg prosthesis is still in very good condition. So what happens to the old prosthesis? It usually ends up in a cupboard. “You never know,” you might think. For many prosthesis users, throwing it away doesn’t feel right either.
According to Handicap International, around 65 million people worldwide need a leg prosthesis. In conflict zones, 8 out of 10 of them do not have one. Anyone here in Europe who undergoes an amputation or is born with one often receives comprehensive care, including rehabilitation, a bespoke prosthesis and the necessary follow-up care. In many other parts of the world, however, this is not the case.
Through the Liimba project, Handicap International aims to change this. That is why they have asked us to collaborate on this initiative. We are the largest family-run orthopaedic company in Belgium, and the Amputee Care Centre by Spronken has built up a large client base of prosthesis users over the past 65 years. This makes us the ideal partner for collecting arm and leg prostheses that are no longer in use.
You can donate your used prosthesis to us, even if it wasn’t made by us. We offer every lower-limb prosthesis donor a free gait analysis at our prosthetics centre in Genk. Upper-limb prosthesis donors can request a free check-up and a free consultation, if desired. Your old prosthesis will be put to good use. We send them to Lyon, where volunteers dismantle the prostheses. The parts can be reused to make prostheses for people in conflict zones.
Donating your prosthesis to the Liimba project works as follows:
The goal is ambitious. By 2028, Handicap International aims to reuse half of all old prostheses in Belgium. That should amount to around 4,000 new prostheses.
Every day, we see just how much a good prosthesis means. It allows you to go to the shops, go to work, play sport and take part in everyday life independently once again. Naturally, we want everyone to have that opportunity – including people who aren’t lucky enough to live close to a specialist centre.
Our technicians and prosthetists keep every prosthesis in the very best condition and, what’s more, know better than anyone which parts remain in excellent condition even after years of use. “That’s why we’ve committed to collecting these prostheses and contributing to this wonderful project,” says Tom Daniëls.
Do you still have an old leg or arm prosthesis at home? We’d love to invite you to come and hand it in, thereby contributing to the Liimba project. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Contact us by completing the Contact Form or by calling +32 (0)470 500 888. We are at your service.
Breng al je protheses gerust mee naar ons Benelux-prothesecentrum in Genk, België en boek een gratis adviesconsult met een prothesist aan wie je alle vragen kunt stellen en nieuwe mogelijkheden kunt ontdekken. Misschien is er een update mogelijk, zodat je zelf je oude prothese weer kunt gebruiken als reserve. Stel al je vragen aan ons team. We kijken samen of je oude of nieuwe prothese nog optimaal aansluit bij hoe je vandaag leeft en beweegt. Twijfel je over de pasvorm van je prothesen? Bij het Amputee Care Center ben je altijd welkom voor een gratis en vrijblijvende tweede opinie en voor protheseoptimalisatie.
It is perfectly understandable that handing in or disposing of a loved one’s prosthesis can feel emotional: it was part of their life and mobility for many years, and parting with it can feel like a final, silent farewell. At the same time, this very gesture can offer comfort, because the prosthesis can still mean so much to someone who would otherwise never be able to have one. That is why we warmly invite you to donate your loved one’s old prosthesis to us: we’ll ensure that usable parts are given a new lease of life and reach people in need, so that the aid that once helped your family member or loved one can now give someone else hope and freedom of movement once more.
Please bring any old prosthesis to us. We’ll ensure it goes to a good home. You’ll receive a warm welcome and a cup of coffee will be waiting for you! If you’d like to have a chat, simply book an appointment.
Contact us by completing the Contact Form or by calling +32 (0)470 500 888. We are at your service.
Spronken is a NEN-EN-ISO 13485-certified supplier of orthopaedic equipment. Over the past 60 years, Spronken has grown into one of the largest companies in the fields of orthoses, prostheses, mobility and state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment in Europe.
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