Amputee:

As with the purchase of any product, education of available services and products can only help you make the best choice.

Traditionally this choice has been left in the hands of the skilled medical professional (such as a prosthetist or doctor).

However, in the last ten years there has been a trend toward marketing prosthetic products directly at the amputee. This has been accomplished via traditional routes such as magazine advertising, but also by the sponsorship of amputee related events such as golf tournaments and the teams and individuals at the Paralympics and other international sport events.

The Internet has also played a significant role in "demystifying" prosthetic products. Anyone can access the WEB Pages of Otto Bock, Flex Foot, USMC and other prosthetic companies. In fact many of these companies angle their WEB Pages to the amputee via the use of non technical language.

The popularity of "consumer" groups such as the Amputee Coalition of America have also enabled the average amputee to access information on prosthetic products and to make educated choices on those products or whether to wear a prosthesis or not.

The whole prosthetic industry is based around the prosthetist being the person with the knowledge and the amputee with a need.

So when you want to order directly from any prosthetic company this indeed would start a somewhat "dangerous" trend. 1. the company is not set up for it and 2. If the Prosthetists ever found out about it there would be hell to pay.

I don't know if selling the product directly to the amputee would directly benefit the amputee more than it would not benefit the prosthetist.

The "mark-up" that Prosthetists make on all products they deal with is one of the most hotly contested issues. As in any retail trade market forces, rather than a fair deal determine such a "mark-up".

In a market area where the prosthetist is the only facility he/she can charge higher prices for their services. In larger market areas with competition the facility has to keep a check on prices.

However, there is a somewhat alarming trend of cooperation between many facilities. (like gas prices). Plus many facilities realize the consumer is often ignorant of the "market" (other facilities). Many of the prosthetic associations frown on "competitive nature" toward other facilities. But this does not always hold true.

So yes it pays to shop around, talk to the head prosthetist, check their prices in comparison to other facilities. Weigh the cost of travel over possible higher local prices. There is no regulation on "mark-up" so each facility may differ, depends if the facilities are on talking terms with each other.

• Be pro-active but not pushy. You are aiming for cooperative relationship with your prosthetist, not to make an enemy of him or her. Use tact and diplomacy when asking questions, don't belittle the prosthetist or talk down to them.

• Ask to see how your prosthesis is serviced and or assembled. Get familiar with the manufacturing process, the tools used, the material used and the time it takes to put it together.