Meet Our Patients
At R.J. Rosenberg Orthopedic Lab, patient satisfaction is of utmost importance to us. We are always inspired when patients overcome the challenges of losing a limb, and we are very honored when they share their experiences with us.
Christina
RJR Licensed Prosthetist Katie Johnson describes Christina as someone who wants to help others with her story. Christina experienced the loss of fingers 2, 3, 4 on her right hand in a work accident. We fabricated a partial hand prosthesis with Point Designs fingers for Christina to help her go back to her job in manufacturing. Love the pop of red – her favorite color, making the prostheses more her own! Point Designs prosthetic fingers are extremely functional and have an “elegant and novel ratcheting linkage mechanism” resulting in anatomical prosthetic finger flexion. The prosthetic fingers can withstand up to 150lbs of load capacity and allow various angles of finger flexion for various tasks. This will immensely help Christina due to loss of range in her fingers from the accident that the prosthetic fingers will help her regain. Katie and Keiko, our anaplastologist, will also work with Christina to make her silicone fingers that are more lifelike but still provide a great degree of function.
Chauncey G.
Retired Chauncey G. is a patriotic patient with his American flag covered above-knee amputee socket. He is active, enjoying swimming, dancing, and bike riding. His prosthesis built by Katie Johnson, CPO/L and Ryan Spill, CP/L, consists of an Össur Balance Knee, an Ossur transfemoral locking liner, and a Celsus foot from College Park Industries. In addition to the flag lamination. The socket also includes a Proflex liner.
When asked, Chauncey wants to meet more great people!
Tracie
Tracie is an amazing woman. Amputation is a lot to handle – physically and emotionally, Tracie has a positive attitude and encouraged our involvement in the PigAbilities Run, Walk, and Roll event in May. A bilateral amputee due to blood clots, the 49-year-old mother of three, is something of a warrior. Katie Johnson, CPO/L and Ryan Spill, CP/L made her prostheses starting with Össur Iceform Sleeves, Ossur Seal-in Liners, WillowWood LimbLogic vacuum pumps and Blatchford Elan feet. Now the best part? Check out Tracie’s amazing, laminated sockets that she designed – strong enough, successful enough, bold enough – a warrior! She is going to school to become a certified occupational therapy assistant as she wants to help others. Her journey includes continued physical therapy to gain strength and become more active and just recently got her driver’s license!
Victoria
One-year-old Victoria was born with an above-knee difference on the right side. She is very adventurous, climbs and crawls. Because she is close to walking, the RJR team made her a custom socket with pink and red roses, pediatric components from Bulldog Tools, and a SACH foot. As parents ourselves, it is particularly heartwarming to work with pediatric patients – helping them walk, run, and know we are part of their quality of life and that of their families.
Marti
It’s a bit of an outdated expression… but Marti’s prosthesis is the “cat’s meow!”
Marti was born with her right arm not fully formed below the elbow, called limb deficiency or congenital (at birth). She is an active, outgoing, and inspirational person. Married to Brian, she has three grown children, and three grandchildren. And checking out her photo… she can handle a hammer! Working with Katie Johnson, CPO/L, this new prosthesis is worn when Marti does her weightlifting and weightlifting classes. The terminal device grips the weightlifting bar. She is a retired teacher (although she still subs), and has plans to volunteer at the YMCA. Marti also stays busy with deep water aerobics, the church choir and playing the French Horn in the Wyoming Winds Band. When Marti is not working out, she uses a myoelectric arm with a natural looking hand.
Dottie
It’s time for school and Dottie is all set with her new helper hand and arm for first grade. Our RJR team covered her prosthesis in happy white daisies, with a bright blue background.
Cathy
Cathy has been through a lot. However, she keeps going.
While on a benefit motorcycle ride in 2003, Cathy was hit by an unlicensed driver. The accident resulted in a broken pelvis and the amputation of her left leg above the knee. This can be a very difficult amputation and one that comes with challenges. However, at 61, Cathy has eight grandchildren and is a survivor. She has goals! Cathy loves to fish and wants to go more often (she has only been fishing three times since the accident). She also loves to play in the dirt and plant flowers! Spring is her thing. For her prosthetic care, Katie Johnson and the RJR team fabricated and fit Cathy with a custom laminated socket, with a flexible inner liner, in a beautiful pattern of purple and blue squares with a lanyard suspension. Cathy also wears an Össur polycentric knee with a Blatchford foot.
We are proud to be part of Cathy’s care team as well as her cheering squad!
Jan B.
Jan B. is an avid reader, a grandma, and a professional volunteer at Good Samaritan Hospital‘s Free Health Center. She has a transtibial amputation (BK) on the left side following multiple ankle surgeries secondary to trauma. R.J. Rosenberg’s Katie Johnson is her prosthetist. Due to Jan’s activities two different prostheses were needed. For both prostheses, Katie fit Jan with a custom laminated socket and Össur Iceross Dermo® locking liners with wave. On one, Jan was fit with the Ossur Proflex LP Align to allow her to adjust the foot to different heel heights. On the other, Jan was fit with the College Park Industries TruStep, which she felt more balanced and functional. Jan is full of life and has one priority – to dance again! She even has nicknames for her prostheses, Dancing Diana, Aqua Annie, and Sexy Sadie (with a little black lace laminated on the socked) and Dressy Debbie. We love working with our patients to help them reach their mobility (and dancing) goals.
Devon S.
Devon S. is a man who has been through a lot in his 40 years but also has much to live for. Devon has bilateral below-knee amputations as a result of sudden heart failure (myocarditis). He also experienced a partial loss of his fingers. Devon, surrounded by his wife, Miranda, and young daughter, Jazlynn, faced the challenges of limb loss with determination. R. J. Rosenberg Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist Katie Johnson, CPO, and Ryan Spill, CP worked with Devon to get him back on his feet. The prosthetics chose for him are definitive laminated sockets with hybrid lock/suction suspension from Ossur to give him the security of the pin and the improved suspension from suction along with Pro-Flex XC feet also from Ossur. The Pro-Flex XC prosthetic foot is designed for active users who enjoy hiking and jogging, as well as walking on level ground. One of the fun things we are able to do is create custom lamination on the sockets that reflect a hobby, personality, favorite sports team, colors, or patterns, Devon chose the Black Panther and Big Hero 6 from Disney. He also has taken up Sled Hockey. What is next for Devon? He is starting to learn to run.
Carl
“(Patient care) has been outstanding. Rich Rosenberg takes a very personal interest in you. We even talk about the books that we read. The receptionist and the assistants are also very helpful and friendly. The response time to phone calls is excellent. When you go through something like I did, the trauma of losing an arm and the difficulty of it, it’s good to have an organization like this. They’re good at what they do, technically and from a professional point of view, but also they’re good at the personal touch. I sometimes joke with them that I haven’t seen them in a while and say that maybe I should come back, even when I don’t need anything.”
– Carl, Cincinnati, patient for 34 years.
Lois
“My overall experience has been wonderful. I’ve been with them for 31 years. In the beginning, I didn’t know much about prosthetics or anyone that wore them; it was a whole new learning experience. Rich would weigh the pluses and minuses, he took the time and was very clear. There was a time when I had an issue with my myoelectric arm. Rich was out of town and the technician didn’t know exactly what to do. So, I went in on a Saturday morning, they called Rich on vacation, and got me going again. What a wonderful caring service!”
– Lois, Cincinnati, patient for 31 years.
Reubin
“Rich, Ryan, and all the staff have really helped me. I have established a relationship with all of them. They care and they try their best. They genuinely want to help you. They innovate and help you keep going. They give you new life.”
– Reubin, Cincinnati, patient for more than 20 years.
Jenita
“I have been totally satisfied with them. They are meticulous about how things are done and how it fits. They also ask for my input and try to accommodate the things that I ask for. They even talk to me about new technology and make me aware of those things, whether I attempt to try them or not. And the employees are great. They listen and care not only about my leg, but also about what’s going on in my life. I’ve been with them for so long, they’re like my friends.”
– Jenita, Cincinnati, patient for more than 21 years.
