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Every 48 minutes, another person in the United States will become paralyzed.  That is simply unacceptable. The Miami Project & Buoniconti Fund has made it their mission to advance research towards curing paralysis.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the spinal cord becomes damaged, most commonly, when motor vehicle accidents, falls, acts of violence, and sporting accidents fracture vertebrae and crush or transect the spinal cord. According to the National SCI Statistical Center (NSCISC), 12,000 new traumatic spinal cord injuries each year in the USA; approximately 80.7% occur in men in the USA. There are also approximately 232,000 to 316,000 people in the USA living with chronic SCI, caused by a trauma, and the average age at the time of injury is 40.7 years old.

In 1985, Barth A. Green, M.D. and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti helped found The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis after Nick's son, Marc, sustained a spinal cord injury during a college football game. Today, The Miami Project is the world's most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center, housed in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, a Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The Miami Project's international team of more than 200 scientists, researchers and clinicians take innovative approaches to the challenge of spinal cord injury.

The goal of the campaign is to ask "Will You Stand Up For Those Who Can't?"  The intent is to create a national conversation about the devastation of paralysis, and to bring this condition to the forefront of public awareness.

"Paralysis does not discriminate.  People need to realize that paralysis can happen to anyone at any time," said Nick Buoniconti.  "But the reality of today's statistics can't be disputed.  Every 48 minutes another person in the U.S. will become paralyzed. That is simply unacceptable. Each of us must do what we can to make a difference.  I am personally asking you, will you stand up for those who can't and do one or more of the following?"

At the present time, neither Miami Project researchers nor any other scientist can predict when human trials to promote regeneration in the spinal cord will lead to a cure. The steps for moving a discovery from an idea in the laboratory to a treatment that can be tested in human trials are many. Researchers must gather sufficient proof of functional recovery in animal studies to justify the use of a treatment in human trials. They also need to demonstrate that the results can be repeated in independent laboratories and that the treatment works when tested in larger and chronically injured animals. In addition, to test a treatment in clinical trial, the proposed trial needs to be approved by regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The total process is incredibly time consuming and expensive, but it is essential to develop reliable cure therapies that can be used in the greatest number of people with predictable beneficial results.

Each of us must promise to do something to help create a national conversation about what it means to be paralyzed and the urgent need to find this cure. Help spread the word during the month of September to raise awareness for both those deal with a spinal cord injury and to support The Miami Project as the fight to find a cure. You can like their Facebook Page, follow them on Twitter, and even donate! Check out this remarkable video:

I remember at the age of 14 being afraid to call the pizza man for fear I wouldn't speak clearly or get our family's dinner order incorrect. I can't imagine having enough gumption to ask, for example, Mercedes-Benz to pick up the tab for, hypothetically, a bionic hand.

14-year old Matthew James was born without a left hand. He dreamed of having a sophisticated bionic hand, but his family couldn't afford the $43,000. But a chance meeting with Ross Brawn gave Matthew a life-changing experience: a new hand, for free.

He wrote to Ross Brawn, the man in charge of the Mercedes GP Petronas team, after Brawn visited his school in Berkshire, England. Matthew asked the F1 team to help his family raise the money, and even offered to have the hand sponsored by Mercedes-Benz to compensate. A member of the team reached out to Touch Bionics, a Scottish company specializing in advanced medical devices. They waived the cost of installing the hand and training Matthew on how to use it, while Mercedes was kind enough to cover the rest. And the hand is advanced enough for an F1 team: it features five individual motors, allowing each finger to move independently. The F1 team and Touch Bionics have agreed to share technology that could benefit both organizations.

Touch Bionics just introduced i-LIMB, a significant advance for the product line, with a host of enhancements including pulsing grip strength, multiple software-enabled grip patterns and robust aluminum features for improved user confidence. The i-LIMB Pulse joins a family of products that has been fitted to more than 1,200 patients worldwide.

The version received by the kid has a see-through outer-shell and will get a little Mercedes badge by the wrist. Meanwhile, after touring the Mercedes factory and meeting Michael Schumacher, Matthew now hopes to pursue a career as an engineer with F1.

Here Matthew explains the mechanics of his gifted hand.

I'm always so intrigued and amazed when I see such incredible technological advances such as this. It is especially mind-blowing when I see such cutting-edge devices created by two bright college students. This innovation in prosthetics will revolutionize the way we aid injured workers on their road to recovery.
 
Two Ryerson University undergraduate biomedical engineering students are changing the world of medical prosthetics with a newly developed prosthetic arm that is controlled by brain signals. The Artificial Muscle-Operated (AMO) Arm not only enables amputees more range of movement as compared to other prosthetic arms but it allows amputees to avoid invasive surgeries and could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Developed by third-year student Thiago Caires and second-year student Michal Prywata, the AMO Arm is controlled by the brain and uses compressed air as the main source of power. The digital device makes use of signals in the brain that continue to fire even after a limb is amputated. Unlike most mind-operated prosthesis, the Artificial Muscle-Operated (AMO) Arm doesn't require invasive surgery, and according to its inventors, it costs a quarter of the price to make. This is such a unique aspect to this device. It only makes sense that struggling college students are wallet-conscious!

It took a year to develop the software program for the AMO Arm while the actual prototype was created during a marathon 72-hour design session. Although they are still students, Prywata and Caires are moving ahead on the commercialization of their innovations. They have formed their own company, Bionik Laboratories Inc., and are currently seeking three patents for the AMO Arm and their other technologies. Their recent acceptance into Ryerson's home of innovation and commercialization: the Digital Media Zone (DMZ) will help them in achieving these goals. These brilliant student's work was also featured at the 2011 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) IShow, designed to showcase student's innovative designs, and provides high-profile exposure that these student's concepts might not otherwise receive.

In future, they plan to develop the AMO Arm further by making it able to sense different materials (e.g., an egg versus a full bottle of water) and adjust the applied force proportionately.

Check out this fascinatned video from creators and students, Michal Prywata and Thiago Caires, as they quickly explain the arm:

Wound V.A.C. (Vacuum Assisted Closure) Treatment is a therapy used widely within the workers’ comp and healthcare world. It’s known to expedite the healing process, essentially returning an injured worker back to work or a familiar way of life sooner. However, it’s equally important to understand how V.A.C. Therapy works deep inside the wound to achieve these outcomes.

V.A.C. Therapy provides negative pressure wound therapy for applications ranging from severe wounds and grafts/flaps to post-surgical incision management. The variety of V.A.C. Dressing configurations enhances ease-of-application and reduces the need for dressing changes to only every 48-72 hours. The durability and portability of the battery-powered V.A.C. Therapy System enables patients to receive treatment during ambulation or other arrangements.

KCI offers a wide range of clinically proven, economically beneficial wound healing therapies and technologies designed to deliver positive outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals. They even have a branch designed for veteranarian use — KCI Animal Health.

We are used to seeing this used for injured workers, but interestingly enough, this technology was repurposed to save the life of a sea turtle after sustaining two propeller injuries - and even shortened his healing time.

When any injured employees become wheelchair bound, it is important to have a reliable vendor partner who is knowledgeable in the installation of modular aluminum ramping. It is important that the necessary adjustments are made to ensure a claimant's home is both safe and accessible. These aluminum ramps far outweigh their wooden ramp counterparts. Did you realize the hidden costs involved in setting up wooden ramps? They require regular maintenance, must be installed by a licensed contractor or carpenter, require a building permit and typically take two to three days to install. Can you just hear the "cha-ching" noises going off! Plus, they have no resale value and could contain dangerous chemicals or applied treatments.

This Real Ramping Project is brought to us by Mobility Specialist, Mike Connor. This was of particular interest because of the unique shape of the home and the porch addition to the side of the home. "It was more of a challenging install because he had a steel ramp that had to be removed because it didn't have railing and wasn't up to the ADA code." says Mike. "That day I learned how to operate a tractor and how to use a cutting torch. I was very determined to get the unsafe ramping removed and out of the way.  The install turned out really nice and the customer not only has a safe exit from the back porch but was also happy with the way it turned out."

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We all grow up hearing about the health concerns associated with smoking: coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, etc. How about the adverse effects of secondhand smoke? According to American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke immediately affects the heart and blood circulation in a harmful way.

Now, imagine a home of four adults, including an injured worker trying to recover - all of which are chronic smokers. Ultimately, the smoke within the home can cripple the injured worker's road to recovery, but not just because of the health issues related to smoking. What about the equipment used to facilitate that recovery? Can equipment be victim to secondhand smoke? If smoke can have such damaging effects on an individual, imagine the effect it can have on a low air-loss mattress - another "breathing" unit within the home.

Zack Craft, Vice President of Rehabilitation Technology and Complex Care with Total Medical Solutions, addresses the impact smoking has the equipment in his most recent article, Smoking Kills...Equipment too, published on the Property Casualty 360° website. After reading this article, think of those cases you are currently dealing with that may have a similar underlying issue that, at surface, isn't visible, but underneath causes long-term, costly problems.

This Real Ramping Project is brought to us by Mobility Specialist, Tony LaLonde. "This was a unique project because the ramp was built to the unusually high threshold." Tony tells us. "It descends from the back door 4th to a platform turns 90 and descends another 20 ft discharging on the sidewalk giving it a 12:1 pitch and a safe discharge point." 

When injured employees become wheelchair bound, it is important to have a reliable vendor partner who is knowledgeable in the installation of modular aluminum ramping.

The benefits of aluminum ramping include:
• Installation within hours
• No building permit required
• Maintenance free
• Virtually indestructible
• Can be stored or "banked" for later use
• Does not reduce value of property
• American made

If you have any questions about your upcoming ramping needs, feel free to contact Total Medical Solutions at 1.800.700.9393 or intakes@newtms.com or www.NewTMS.com.

Yes, Virginia, there is a proper way to speak to or about people with disabilities. No matter what you do, brushing up on your communication skills is always a good idea. For a full primer on proper etiquette for speaking to or about people with disabilities, visit the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy and review Communicating With and About People With Disabilities.

Generally speaking, it is important to always speak affirmatively and place emphasis on the person, not the disability. When working with a person who has mobility impairment, pull up a chair and put yourself at the user's eye level to make communication with the person more comfortable.

The three most important things to remember when communicating with a person who has a disability:

1 - Relax.

2 - Treat the individual with dignity, respect and courtesy.

3 - Listen to the individual.

And for your viewing pleasure, watch this short video by Darlene O'Brien, founder of Blind Ambition, a consulting and training business that provides disability etiquette training. According to Darlene, the community of disabled individuals is the largest minority in the U.S. and one that will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years...

This Real Ramping Project is brought to us by Mobility Specialist, Scott Lucia. This injured worker had a fractured hip and a broken leg. He was discharged from the hospital non-weight bearing in a wheelchair. The fasted solution to getting the injured worker into his home was to install this ramp system. He was able to transfer from his vehicle into the wheelchair and right up the ramp into his home. The ramping is a fast and temporary solution until he becomes weight bearing, and was installed in about two hours. What's great is the ability to re-use the ramping for future injured workers by banking in our warehouse, saving the carrier thousands! It requires no building permits, is maintenance free, virtually indestructible and does not reduce the value of property. This is a great example of a temporary use to help an injured worker gain access until he gets back on his feet. Once he was done, it took about 30 minutes to break down the system to return to the banking warehouse. 

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If you have any questions about aluminum ramping, Total Medical Solutions would be happy to help. Feel free to contact them at 1-800-700-9393 or visit www.NewTMS.com.

According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 25.8 million children and adults in the United States -- 8.3% of the population -- have diabetes. 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years and older in 2010.

Managing diabetes at any age can be both time consuming and tedious. However, with the technological advances of this day and age, instruments are being developed to help improve and simplify that process.

Cellnovo mobile diabetes management tools provide the freedom from the arduous task of managing this disease. Through a symphony of connected devices, the goal is to reduce the burden while providing more insight to people with diabetes, their healthcare team and their family. This mobile diabetes management system is drawing comparisons to Apple Inc.'s blockbuster iPhone and iPod platforms.

Creators of this technology believe this will revolutionize the lives of insulin dependent individuals. "If people understand Cellnovo as a device that sends data to a website, they are missing the point," CEO Bill Mckeon told the medical device publication Invivo last year. "If you had asked Steve Jobs at Apple about his new MP3 player called the iPod, and how it compares to other MP3 players, he might have said, 'I am not making an MP3 player. I'm bringing entertainment into your life in a number of ways.'"

Read more about Cellnova's goals in the mobile approach to diabetes care in this article.

This technology will hopefully bring some additional exposure to successfully managing this disease in an effort to improve the lifestyles of injured workers' dealing with diabetes alongside their injury.