New England Brace Company: Comfort + Function

By Deborah Conway
Freelance Writer

New England Brace Company has been in existence since 1946, with a presence in Lewiston since 1978. Although his base is at NEBCO’s 217 Main Street office, Gary Yackley, an Orthotist-Prosthetist, travels extensively to surrounding towns where he designs and fits both prosthetic and orthotic devices for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, physician and physical therapy offices, and even in patients’ homes.
Yackley, who has nearly 30 years of experience, became fascinated with the art of making replacement limbs when a friend lost his hand as the result of an accident. Yackley interned in Dayton, Ohio with Heintz Murka, an elderly gentleman from Germany and a Master in the art of prosthetics and orthotics, where he learned to fabricate prostheses and orthoses from wood, leather and metal. Yackley did his undergraduate work at Sinclair College in Dayton and obtained an advanced degree at the Minnesota School of Orthopedic Surgery, graduating in 1986. He has been with NEBCO since 1992.
In the days of the civil war, prostheses for wounded soldiers were made primarily by blacksmiths. As you can imagine, these devices were not terribly comfortable. Although limbs constructed 30 years ago from wood, leather and metal were an improvement, each device could weigh as much as 20 pounds. In addition, the materials would break down quickly, and could not provide the wearer with anything close to a natural gait.
Fast-forward to 2009, and you find incredible changes, both in terms of comfort and function. Yackley begins the process of creating a new custom prosthesis or orthosis by speaking with the patient. He evaluates each individually, learning where they are in life, and where they want to go.
He takes into account each patient’s lifestyle, including both work and leisure. He considers their preferred activities with an eye toward what environmental factors will affect both the device and the individual’s ability to work and play with the device.
From this he is able to create a “recipe” for the prosthetic or orthotic device and, according to Yackley, there are literally “thousands of components” that can be used to create something that will meet their expectations regarding fit and function. Using fabrics, devices can even be customized to reflect their personal interests and sense of style.
Yackley noted, “The comfort factor has improved with the advent of new materials and concepts; the most innovative material for patient comfort is gel.” Using a fabric that is lined with a silicone gel, a sleeve is created that is rolled over the patient’s limb at the site of the amputation.
This sleeve transfers all of the friction, which could potentially break down the fragile skin, to the outside of the sleeve, underneath a custom fitted carbon fiber socket. The carbon fiber socket provides the stability and attaches to the replacement prosthetic foot, which is constructed of lightweight plastic components.
Advancements in the components used in the replacement limb allow the individual to walk, usually with a completely normal gait pattern. Using the gel sleeve, carbon fiber socket and other lightweight components, these prostheses are not only more comfortable, they are more durable, functional and, at about four pounds, very lightweight.
Similarly, with respect to orthotics, an exciting new advancement is a device that enables individuals with neurological disorders, such as foot drop, to walk more naturally. The Bioness L-300 uses electrical stimulation and a unit that is strapped around the individual’s leg with a remote sensor attached to the heel, the device senses when the heel comes off of the floor and sends a signal to pads that are strategically placed on the individual’s shin and which stimulate the muscles of the leg to lift the front of the foot. Even newer advancements are allowing some of these sensors and stimulators to be attached subcutaneously.
Yackley, who also sits on the board of directors for New England Brace Company, is proud of NEBCO’s “patients first” philosophy, and has been rewarded with 94% in patient satisfaction garnered from NEBCO patient survey questionnaires. His passion for prosthetics and orthotics is evident, and he regards it as a “personal achievement” every time a patient walks out NEBCO’s door smiling.
The most important ingredient in Yackley’s “recipe” is the patient, and the walls of his Lewiston office are graced with photos of happy people, and even a few dogs, whose mobility and independence have been enhanced by NEBCO.
For more information as to how Yackley and NEBCO can make a difference in your life by helping with your prosthetic or orthotic needs, speak with your doctor, and call New England Brace Company at 786-0101.
217 Main Street ? Lewiston ? 786-0101
www.nebrace.com