December 2001,

The staff at American Artificial Limb Company is announcing the retirement of our very loyal, long standing employee, co-owner and friend, Hans Brunner. He has been a very valuable asset not only to this company, but also to the profession as a whole. He has established a standard of excellence within this facility both in patient management and workmanship. We will continue to pursue this standard of excellence as we treat all of our patients to best meet their prosthetic and orthotic needs.

Hans plans to spend his retirement enjoying the company of his wife and family both here in Washington and abroad. He will no doubt fill his days with family, friends and the serenity of nature.

We all extend our most sincere wishes for happiness.

Hans- we will miss you…Auf Wiedersehen

On the lighter side…

Occasionally we are called on to think outside the box and address an unusual problem. Our most recent case involved Tommy (the cow) at Pasado’s Safe Haven. Tommy is a 3 yr. old 1200-pound Hereford that was shot by a gang when he was one week old. His mother and 4 other cows were killed in the shooting, but Tommy was "rescued" by Pasado’s Safe Haven and now leads the "Ultimate Cow’s Life". He sustained 4 gunshots and residual nerve damage in the right front leg resulting in a contracted and deformed leg. He had been weight bearing on a bent knee until he grew to full weight.

We were called to design and fabricate an orthosis/prosthesis that would allow Tommy to walk. The challenge was to create a device that could withstand the 1200-pound weight limits, be able to withstand uneven terrain and be comfortable enough to wear all day in an unclean environment. The result was a heavy-duty laminated graphite device in which the limb is supported in its flexed position and an extension was added to restore an equal length. Heavy-duty 4" straps are used for suspension and a tire tread is used for the sole surface. We succeeded and here you can see the outcome of our efforts. Tommy is now able to resume his happy life grazing in the pasture… No-you will never find Tommy on your dinner table…