UT Health San Antonio has established a multidisciplinary limb optimization program offering surgical and rehabilitative care for patients with complex limb deformity or loss due to trauma, tumor or congenital conditions.
The program includes osseointegration, a direct skeletal attachment technique for prosthetic limbs, making UT Health San Antonio the first provider in South Texas to offer the procedure. Compared to traditional socket-based prosthetics, osseointegration allows for improved limb control, comfort and mobility, according to a Jan. 13 news release.
The program is led by Joseph Alderete, MD, associate clinical professor of orthopedics at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine. A retired Army colonel and experienced military trauma surgeon, Dr. Alderete helped launch the Department of Defense and VA Osseointegration Human Clinical Trial and previously led the program at Brooke Army Medical Center.
The limb optimization team includes specialists in ortho-plastics, rehabilitation, behavioral health, orthotics, prosthetics and translational research. They aim to reduce complications and improve functional outcomes for patients undergoing limb salvage or advanced amputation procedures.
