MDNews - Minnesota

which is why Propulsion is the name of our prepreg line." Patients also benefit from the lighter weight of prepreg carbon fiber, which makes the Propulsion line of devices more comfortable to wear and use compared with plastic AFOs and KAFOs. "Ma ny physicia ns dislike ordering K AFOs because of how bulky they are when they 're made of plastic," Steve Tillges says. "The materials we use and the way we design our K A FOs means the devices are streamlined and can fit easily underneath pants and other cloth- ing, which preserves both comfort and cosmetic appearance." Prepreg carbon fiber devices are fully custom braces. Every device is tailored to a patient's height, weight and activity level and can be personalized with different sleeves and fabrics to match patients' lifestyles and aesthetic preferences. "The sheets of prepreg carbon fiber come with a wide array of fiber orienta- tions," Thomas Tillges says. "We apply these sheets layer by layer to add strength, torsion and f lex where needed, which allows us to really hone in the design of the brace based on the mechanical properties of a patient's gait." The partial-foot prostheses within the Propulsion line have also filled a lingering gap for both patients and referring provid- ers regarding partial-foot amputations. "One area where a lot of physicians and physical therapists struggle is knowing what type of prosthesis or brace to order for a patient with a foot amputation," Steve Tillges says. "Partial-foot amputees are a very underprescribed population who can really benefit from Propulsion foot prostheses. We've seen patients who have used walkers for years walk out of here without needing a cane after they received their prosthesis." The Propulsion line's elongated toe lever reduces pressure at the distal end of residual limbs and provides extra balance and stability for people who have under- gone all levels of partial-foot amputations, from toe amputations to the Chopart level. "When the foot is partially amputated, patients don't have a lever arm to propel them into their next step," Steve Tillges Michael Tillges MICH A EL TILLGE S is an American Board Certified Prosthetic and Orthotic Practitioner and has been with TCOP since 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University and completed the orthotic and prosthetic practitioner programs at Century College. He has more than 15 years of experience in the orthotic and pros- thetic industry. says. "Our longer toe lever allows patients to take more even and natural strides, which expends less energy and allows them to live a more efficient and active lifestyle." PRECISION AND PRODUCTIVITY Unlike other orthotic and prosthetic device providers that might have to wait weeks for delivery of a custom device, TCOP can examine a patient and have a device ready for them in a fraction of the time. "Typically, we can evaluate patients and fit them with a carbon fiber Propulsion brace or prosthesis the next day," Michael Tillges says. "We're really focused on serving our local patient population by fabricating devices quickly and getting them to patients faster than most companies can. For instance, we have been offering same day prosthetic casting and fitting appointments while utilizing our Symphonie casting system." Part of this quick turnaround is thanks to the 7-axis robotic carver installed at TCOP/Tillges Technologies. "We work with an engineering group from Italy that provides us with fabrication solutions," Thomas Tillges says. "We col- laborated with the group for nine months on the 7-axis robotic carver unit before we brought it in-house." The 7-a xis robotic carver was originally designed for the automotive, aerospace, marble and stone industries. While 1 6 1 6❱❱❱❱❱ S P E C I A L F E A T U R E

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