In this episode, ADJUSTED welcomes Mo Kenney. Mo shares his story of overcoming amputation and his work at Kenney Orthopedics helping others in their recovery.

AN ACCIDENT THAT BECAME “A BLESSING IN DISGUISE”: When Mr. Kenney was seven years old, he was hit by a car when he was playing outside. When he awakened after a three-day coma, he remembers that his right leg was missing. It was traumatic, and he grieved, but then the trauma went away. The trauma was replaced with a passion for helping people. Mr. Kenney originally thought he wanted to be a psychologist, but then wanted to do something deeper. He received his bachelor’s degree and obtained his post-graduate certification in Prosthetics and Orthotics. He is board-certified and has eighteen offices in three different states. He also devotes time to humanitarian trips, to assist other amputees from outside the United States.

THE PHYSICAL TRAUMA FROM AN AMPUTATION HEALS QUICKER THAN EMOTIONAL TRAUMA:  About one-third of amputees are hit hard with depression. Pediatric patients heal quicker mentally than an adult or geriatric patients. When an injury occurs with a pediatric patient, they usually grow up forgetting what life was like pre-injury. It is more difficult for an adult, or geriatric patient, who recently lost a limb, to quickly bounce back mentally. They have lived their whole life with all of their limbs, so undergoing an amputation is extremely traumatic. The trauma affects not only the patient but the whole family. It affects them physically, mentally, and financially. Clinicians in the prosthetic/orthotist field commonly use the phrase “You can’t fix the body until you fix the head.”

TECHNOLOGY HAS RAPIDLY CHANGED PROSTHETICS, AND REMOVED A LOT OF OLD STIGMAS: In the past, when a person had an amputation of a limb, many times the prosthetic was made of wood. There were also social stigmas when a person suffered an amputation, which then increased the likelihood of depression and dependency on others. Due to technological advancements, people can live full lives. It is not uncommon today to see people who have undergone an amputation compete in athletics such as dancing, mountain climbing, skiing, and a whole variety of other activities. 

PROSTHETICS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE, BUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT COMES BACK TEN TIMES:    Adjusters in the Worker’s Compensation Industry would benefit from additional training and seminars that delve into the complexities of recovering from an amputation. There are misconceptions that prosthetics is about “paying for a device,” when it actually is a “package of service.” This package includes the prosthetic device, twelve to fifteen office visits, nurse visits, physical therapists, alignment, and adjustment. There are times that the device may not fit correctly, and adjustments will need to be made due to weight changes, or additional limb atrophies.  The prosthetic will need to be replaced every three to five years at a minimum. It is very expensive initially, but the payoff is huge. When a person feels restored, they want to return to life. Part of that life includes returning to the workforce, which improves self-esteem and mental health and alleviates financial hardships on injured workers and their families. When you help restore someone’s life, it is a win-win for everyone.

THE FIELD OF PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS IS A SMALL SPACE IN MEDICINE:  While there are about half of a million physicians, there are only about six thousand board-certified clinicians in prosthetics and orthotics. They do not consider themselves to be competitors; they consider themselves colleagues. Their mission is to return people to normal, and in some cases, even better than they were before. Many patients were suffering from illnesses prior to amputation, which impeded their ability to have normal lives. For more information on Kenney Orthopedics, go to https://www.kenneyorthopedics.com.   The clinicians want to bring positive change, and show people that an amputation will not prevent you from “conquering the world.”