For people with disabilities, devices are often part of their identity. Prostheses, orthoses and wheelchairs make it possible to push personal limits and gain more freedom of movement and quality of life. At OTWorld 2024, Ottobock will be demonstrating the extent to which this is possible with innovations. The leading international trade fair for orthopaedic technology and the associated World Congress will take place from 14 to 17 May 2024 in Leipzig, Germany. At the Ottobock booth (Hall 5 / D30), the company will be presenting new products and innovations in three thematic areas: Prosthetics, NeuroMobility and O&P Business Solutions.

“In 2024, #WeEmpowerPeople is driving us on many levels. With our technologies and services, we help people to achieve the supposedly unachievable,” says Professor Hans Georg Näder, owner and Chairman of the Board of Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA. “We see ourselves as facilitators in everyday life as well as for special moments: Winning medals at the Paralympic Games, climbing the world’s highest mountains, flying into space – these are milestones in device provision and mobility. They serve to develop outstanding everyday solutions for all users. For this purpose, we rely on groundbreaking research, digital tools and artificial intelligence as well as user centricity.”

Insights and outlooks

At the Ottobock stand at OTWorld, more than 30 demo users will be sharing their experiences. Together with product experts, they will share their inspirational personal stories as well as showcase new features and innovations. The event area with the 22.5 m² LED screen will be the focus of the trade fair presentation. Interactive shows on a wide range of topics will inspire visitors every hour. Highlights include the shows presenting new products and fitting solutions as well as the Paralympic Games in the summer of 2024.

“Under the title ‘Road to Paris’, we will show how technicians and athletes are preparing for the Paralympic Games in Paris – an exciting insight into supplying devices for top-level sports,” says Oliver Jakobi, CEO of Ottobock. “We will also be presenting future technologies, milestones in digitalisation and exchanging ideas with the O&P industry. We are setting new standards with our show programme and fantastic new products.”

Prosthetics: higher performance for people with amputations

In the field of prosthetics, Ottobock presents solutions and technologies for various mobility grades. One highlight is the innovative Evanto mechanical prosthetic foot. Its unique functional principle has been considered a milestone since the carbon foot was invented in the 1980s. The waterproof Evanto combines high flexibility and stability with a compact design.

“We will also be celebrating the world premiere of our new prosthetic knee joint at OTWorld,” says Oliver Jakobi. “The product will inspire the market with new features. It enables exceptionally smooth movement patterns and can be adapted more individually to the needs of the user than ever before.”

John McFall was one of the first to test the new prosthesis in the development phase. At the premiere of the device, he will share his extraordinary story at the Ottobock booth: The Briton lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident when he was 19 years old. He has won medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres in para sprinting and is a specialist for traumatology and orthopaedics – and is now set to become the first astronaut with a physical disability. In November 2022, John was selected as a member of the ESA astronaut reserve to take part in the “Fly!” feasibility study. The aim is to explore ways in which people with physical disabilities can become fully integrated members of an astronaut crew during a long-term mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

NeuroMobility: focus on holistic treatment

In the NeuroMobility theme area, Ottobock will demonstrate how integrated treatment for patients with neurological indications works. The experts and demo users will address various clinical pictures: cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, stroke and other neurological conditions. Custom combinations of devices open up new horizons in terms of mobility. Ottobock offers an innovative portfolio of products for this purpose, ranging from classic orthoses, to models with functional electrical stimulation and the microprocessor-controlled C-Brace orthotic system, to active and power wheelchairs and the Exopulse Mollii Suit neuromodulation suit.

Ottobock will be presenting innovative further developments in this field at OTWorld: The new unilateral adapter joint of the C-Brace opens up new freedom in the knee area for users. The new Nexgear orthotic joint range offers people with partial or complete paralysis of the leg musculature custom fittings in a modern design for walking under different conditions. In particular, the new Tango multifunction joint offers a wide range of different functions. The new Juvo B7 power wheelchair supports persons with significant mobility restrictions. With its numerous adjustment options, including complex positioning options, the wheelchair sets a new standard in terms of functionality, versatility and individualisation.

O&P Business Solutions: digital, effective and sustainable

Sustainability, occupational health and safety as well as economic processes in orthopaedics businesses are key issues in view of the increasing shortage of skilled workers and time pressure in patient care. Ottobock will be devoting itself to the appropriate solutions at its stand in the “O&P Business Solutions” section.

One innovation is the transfer scan used for prosthetic fittings for the lower limbs. This makes it possible to measure test and interim sockets from the inside with millimetre accuracy and to transfer this data to the definitive socket. This means that for the first time, the entire fitting process for people with leg prostheses can be digital: from a 3D scan of the residual limb or socket, to modelling the data, to ordering and producing the (3D-printed) prosthetic socket, including via Ottobock iFab.

In addition, Ottobock will be presenting its sustainable GreenLine solutions for the first time at OTWorld. This includes materials that are more environmentally friendly and easier for O&P professionals to process: flax fibre as a natural alternative to carbon and fibreglass, GreenLine hardening powder and carbon preforms for the fabrication of prosthetic sockets.