By
AOPA member Noelle Ollerton shares her recent experiences with the
Ethnocare Overlay
I first stumbled upon Ethnocare while casually browsing social media, as one does an a cold Queensland winter's day, and on a whim decided to reach out to them to inquire further about their product, the Overlay, as I was rather intrigued by their product's concept. Within days, I had arranged to have a video chat to meet with Marc, who lives halfway around the world in Canada, to learn more about the product and to try to get a sense if it could be suitable for use in Australia. I thought the concept of only having to don one 'sock' layer (vs several) over a prosthetic liner would be rather advantageous for transtibial prosthetic clients, especially in the warmer climate of Australia where heat and perspiration poses to be a long-winded battle for prosthetic users. Little did I know that OPC Health Australia had also thought the Overlay product may help bring a breath, or 'air cells of fresh air to the Australian market after they had visited the Ethnocare team's exhibitor stall at a tradeshow over in North America.
Marc's passion to help the end user was authentically apparent as he presented to me about the Overlay. The concept is similar to other adjustable sockets, allowing the user to self-manage volume changes throughout the day, but the benefit with the Overlay is that it can be retrofitted transforming rigid sockets into adjustable ones. The Overlay fits directly over a client's prosthetic liner, donning as one would a typical prosthetic sock, and consists of a rather thin 1mm breathable material that is integrated with expandable air cells. Once the client has donned the liner, the Overlay, and the prosthesis, they then use the manual push-pump to infiate the air cells up to the equivalent of 15 plies of sock but without the added popliteal area bunching of sock layers or having to remove their prosthesis throughout the day to don/doff prosthetic socks to accommodate volume changes.
With some clients in mind who have had ongoing residual limb volume fluctuation issues, Marc graciously mailed over some Overlay products to trial with clients, not only to myself, but to OPC Health as well. Over the several months that followed, a handful of clients around Australia were fitted with the Overlay to test the product on the soils of our red dirt wide brown land and salty air nation to gain feedback and evaluate the viability of its daily use.
Through these trials, which are still ongoing, see below just a couple examples of both clinician and and client feedback:
- The sleeve was comfortable and did not prevent (the) client from flexing her knee, nor caused extra heat discomfort.
- Client liked having the ability to adjust socket fit throughout the day with the pump and found it convenient to use.
- The [Overlay) successfully replaced the need for socks.
- Comfort within the socket remained good with the [Overlay). (She felt that the air bladder sleeve gave her better control and did not lift her higher in her socket as compared to just donning more socks.
- One client had ongoing persistent skin and fluid filled growth and blister issues in his popliteal fossa which no variation of socket trimlines and designs, sock layers, or suspension systems helped to resolve. During a review appointment, the client presented the Overlay to the clinician who then contacted OPC Health to see if they could be sent a sample to trial, out of curiosity. What followed was a sight sought to be amazed as the client described the product as being "magic. He was joyfully astounded how he was now able to wear his socket all day without pain! Being able to control the pressure felt on his residuum and to adjust for volume changes throughout the day has greatly improved the client's socket comfort and overall quality of life. This new volume controlling product has helped heal the client's chronic wound. Such a win!
- Another client, who experiences great phantom pains and sensitivity to firm pressures and whom we had tried several other volume adjustable methods, such as a BOA system and traditional socks, was fitted with the Overlay. During the one week review to gain his feedback he stated that it has "put the joy back into walking again." It was such an encouraging appointment as this client had also struggled with mental health for years. To see him with a huge smile and new viger towards life is a moment in my clinical career that will surely be remembered.
.png "Gaza Fund (1)")
