American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists

09/05/2025

The first session of the Academy Think Tank kicks off this month! On September 19, join Academy President, Dr. Gerald Stark, PhD, MSEM, CPOL, FAAOP(D), for a roundtable discussion that convenes clinicians, researchers, and policy experts to explore the evolving role of microprocessor knees (MPKs) in K2-level prosthetic care.

Dr. Stark will be joined by Dr. Andreas Kannenberg, MD (GER), PhD, Phil Stevens, CPO, FAAOP, MEd, and Dr. Shane Wurdeman, PhD, CP, FAAOP(D) to discuss emerging clinical evidence, CMS policy developments, and the ethical responsibilities of implementing advanced technologies.

Learn more and register here: https://buff.ly/InebG36

09/05/2025

Part-time bracing may do more than just prevent curve progression in juvenile idiopathic scoliosis—it can actually improve curve magnitude and reduce the need for full-time bracing in patients with 15–24° curves.

🔗 Read the full report: https://buff.ly/tSLCm3G
🔗 Or access via O&P IQ: https://buff.ly/m42IMRJ

09/04/2025

Live from hashtag ! 📸

If you're here at AOPA's National Assembly, we'd love to connect! Stop by booth 1338 and meet Kate Feuling, CEM, Charity Quick, MBA, CAE, Manisha Bhaskar, and Pamela Yonker. We're always happy to discuss how the Academy is advancing the O&P profession and how YOU can get involved.

09/04/2025

When standard solutions aren’t enough, O&P professionals rise to the challenge with creativity and skill. In this O&P Edge feature, practitioners share real-world examples of inventive problem solving, tailored to meet unique clinical and patient needs.

Read it here:

09/03/2025

There has been a lot of media coverage of the recent Nature Neuroscience study that found that the brain's somatosensory cortex maintains stable maps of the hand and fingers after amputation, which could help us develop better treatments for phantom pain.

Read the latest via NPR:

Even years after an arm is amputated, the brain maintains a detailed map of the limb and tries to interact with this phantom appendage.

09/02/2025

Applications are now open for the O&P Foundation’s Fall 2025 Microgrants! The Microgrant Program is designed to spark clinically relevant scholarly work through one-year grants of $2,000 to support activities and projects in the O&P profession.

Learn more and apply here: .

The O&P Foundation's Microgrant Program is designed to spark clinically relevant scholarly work in the field of orthotics and prosthetics (O&P). This program awards one-year grants of $2,000* to support activities and projects. 

09/02/2025

The Academy has submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Proposed Rule.

In its response, the Academy urged CMS to withdraw the orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) provisions of the proposed rule. These provisions would impose annual accreditation surveys and related requirements on O&P facilities—despite decades of safe, effective care under the established three-year accreditation cycle.

Read the full written response:

The Academy has submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Proposed Rule.

09/02/2025

Can evidence-generated socket designs match the comfort of conventional methods? This study finds EG sockets to be noninferior, offering a data-driven starting point that could streamline workflows—while reinforcing the essential role of expert clinician input in personalized prosthetic care.

🔗 Read the full report: https://buff.ly/PQPX3Tm
🔗 Or access via O&P IQ: https://buff.ly/4ug8kDh

09/02/2025

As you're easing back into fall, why not take a moment to map out your educational opportunities for September? We have an exciting month in store at the Academy, including the introduction of our Academy Think Tank series, several new podcast episodes, and new conversations happening every day on the Academy Exchange.

Join us:

📅 Browse all upcoming events: https://buff.ly/WDJVwfS

🔊 Access this month's podcasts (as well as all past episodes!): https://buff.ly/U87sd9w

💬 Join the conversation in the Academy Exchange: https://buff.ly/xU92UHm

09/01/2025

The Academy team is excited to connect with O&P professionals at AOPA’s 2025 National Assembly this week!

👉 Stop by Booth 1338 to say hello, explore the benefits of Academy membership, and learn about some of the exciting programming coming up this fall.

08/29/2025

You asked for more ways to connect, and the Academy delivered. The Academy Exchange is a 24/7 online hub designed exclusively for O&P professionals. It’s where conversations spark, resources are shared, and relationships grow—with colleagues who truly understand your work.

With real-time notifications, fresh content, and new specialty groups launching this fall, the Exchange is quickly becoming the go-to community for O&P.

If you're an Academy member, join the conversation here: https://buff.ly/dRuqNsN

Not yet a member? Explore the full benefits of membership and learn how to join: https://buff.ly/fe1VqwG

08/29/2025

How reliable are patient-reported tools for measuring mobility in lower limb orthosis users? This study validates the OPRO-M short forms, showing strong correlations with existing instruments and excellent test-retest reliability.

🔗 Read the full report: https://buff.ly/DzK8sWu
🔗 Or access via O&P IQ: https://buff.ly/TbcOCKX

Lower limb orthoses (LLOs) are often prescribed to facilitate mobility in individuals with functional impairments. The Orthotic Patient-Reported Outcomes – Mobility (OPRO-M) is a self-report instrument developed recently to measure LLO users’ perceived mobility with an orthosis. An observational...