About Us
The people who work for us believe in our mission – taking it as a personal commitment to help make a difference for people who depend on one of our medical products to be more active.
Our dedication is reflected in the kinds of people we hire- people who are personally involved in ensuring that our products do just what they promise to do.
We look forward to getting to know you, and hope that you find the resources on this site helpful, too. We designed it to provide education and information that is customized for the people who use our products, as well as for their friends and family. If you have suggestions or comments, please let us know!
Our history
Ottobock was founded in Germany in 1919 by Otto Bock, a prosthetist. His vision of restoring mobility lives on today, growing to serve the world with more than 46 locations reaching more than 100 countries. The company is headquartered in Duderstadt, Germany, and has more than 5,000 employees.
In the early 20th century, Otto Bock transformed the way prosthetic limbs were made. Instead of carving wood to fit a patient, he applied manufacturing techniques and created separate components (like knees and feet) that could be combined, altered or customized to create a limb that was still unique to each patient – but wasn’t built from scratch.
Because of his pioneering work, Prosthetists were able to meet the demand generated by World War I and help veterans stay as active as possible.
South Africa
In 2009 Otto Bock South Africa was established to provide our range of products to the country. Services are rendered by local employees who understand the specific needs of the market. Finally, Ottobock continues to give back to the community, supporting various charities and projects that are consistent with our mission of restoring independence.