Independent University Hospital in Faisalabad, Pakistan, will host a hands-on orthotics and prosthetics workshop on 8 August 2026, offering students and clinicians practical training in commonly prescribed orthoses, multidisciplinary rehabilitation and scoliosis management.
The four-hour workshop will run from 10am to 2pm and will be led by CPO Isha Naz, Consultant Orthotist and Prosthetist. Participants will receive a certificate of participation, with attendance limited by the number of available places.
Practical training rather than lecture-only education
The programme has been designed as a case-based session in which participants can develop practical skills rather than learning solely through presentations.
Topics will include common orthotic devices and their clinical indications, helping attendees understand how different designs are selected according to a patient’s diagnosis, functional needs and rehabilitation goals.
The workshop will also examine the role of the multidisciplinary rehabilitation team in orthotic and prosthetic care.
Effective device provision frequently requires collaboration between orthotists and prosthetists, rehabilitation physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and other professionals.
Although the orthotist is responsible for assessing, prescribing, designing and fitting an orthosis, the success of treatment may also depend on medical management, therapy, patient education and long-term clinical follow-up.
Focus on scoliosis assessment and bracing
A major part of the workshop will address scoliosis assessment and the principles used when prescribing and designing spinal braces.
Scoliosis bracing is a specialist area of orthotic practice. The clinician must consider the patient’s curve pattern, skeletal maturity, flexibility, trunk balance and risk of progression before determining whether an orthosis is appropriate.
Participants will be introduced to the principles behind scoliosis brace design rather than being taught to view spinal orthoses as standard products.
A successful brace must apply carefully directed corrective forces while maintaining appropriate pressure relief, breathing space and patient comfort.
Clinical factors that may influence the prescription include:
- The location and direction of the spinal curve
- Cobb angle and curve progression
- Vertebral rotation
- Pelvic and shoulder balance
- Skeletal maturity
- Flexibility of the curve
- Growth remaining
- Skin condition and pressure tolerance
- The patient’s ability to comply with the prescribed wearing schedule
For students and early-career clinicians, understanding these factors is essential before progressing to casting, scanning, rectification or brace fitting.
Live demonstration of scoliosis casting
The programme will include a live demonstration of scoliosis casting, followed by an opportunity for participants to gain direct hands-on experience.
Casting remains an important clinical and technical skill even as digital scanning becomes more widely available.
A well-produced cast must accurately capture the patient’s anatomy while reflecting the positioning and corrective strategy required for the intended brace.
During scoliosis casting, clinicians may need to manage trunk alignment, pelvic position and areas requiring derotation or pressure relief. Errors at this stage can be carried into the positive model and ultimately affect the fit and corrective function of the completed orthosis.
Practical workshops therefore provide an important bridge between theoretical education and the clinical judgement required during real patient care.
Strengthening Pakistan’s rehabilitation workforce
The event reflects the growing need for continuing professional development in orthotics and prosthetics across Pakistan.
Demand for O&P services is influenced by congenital conditions, neurological disorders, trauma, diabetes, spinal deformity and musculoskeletal disease. Meeting this demand requires not only appropriate devices and workshop equipment but also clinicians with strong assessment, prescription, casting and fitting skills.
Training opportunities outside major national centres can help broaden access to specialist knowledge and strengthen local rehabilitation services.
Faisalabad is one of Pakistan’s largest cities and serves a substantial population across central Punjab. Hosting practical O&P training locally may allow more students and healthcare professionals to participate without travelling to Lahore, Islamabad or Karachi.
Multidisciplinary understanding can improve referrals
The workshop may also benefit clinicians who do not specialise directly in orthotics and prosthetics.
Physiotherapists, doctors and other rehabilitation professionals frequently identify patients who could benefit from an orthosis, but the quality and timing of referrals can affect outcomes.
Understanding what an orthosis can and cannot achieve may help members of the rehabilitation team make more appropriate referrals and set realistic treatment goals.
For example, a brace may provide alignment, stability or controlled movement, but it does not replace muscle strengthening, range-of-motion management or treatment of the underlying medical condition.
Similarly, a scoliosis orthosis requires regular review as a young patient grows and the spinal curve changes. Close communication between the orthotist, physician, therapist, patient and family is therefore essential.
Hands-on education supports safer clinical practice
Practical education is particularly important in O&P because even small technical errors can affect comfort, alignment and function.
An orthosis that appears correct in the workshop may still cause pressure, restrict movement unnecessarily or fail to deliver the intended biomechanical effect when worn by the patient.
Participants need opportunities to practise skills under supervision, receive feedback and learn how to identify potential problems before applying techniques independently in clinical practice.
By combining case discussions, device indications, team-based rehabilitation principles and scoliosis casting, the Faisalabad workshop aims to provide a broader understanding of the complete clinical process.
Registration details
The Orthotics and Prosthetics Workshop will take place at Independent University Hospital, Faisalabad, on Saturday, 8 August 2026, from 10am to 2pm. CPO Isha Naz will lead the session.
Participants will receive a certificate of participation. Places are limited, and advance registration is required.
- Workshop registration
- International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics
- World Health Organization rehabilitation resources
- WHO assistive technology resources
- International Scientific Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment
- National Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists Pakistan