Pediatric knee prosthetic poised to help kids get active

Dr. Jan Andrysek would love nothing more than to give young kids who have lost a leg the chance to be as active as they want. 

Jan’s passion is developing new technologies to help kids and adults with physical disabilities walk again. He’s already helped hundreds of youth and young adults get back to activities they love with the development of the All-Terrain Knee. 

The All-Terrain Knee is a tough, durable prosthetic knee joint that is so strong and so flexible, the list of what a user can do is endless. Its patented design provides excellent stability, it’s easy to use and it’s easy to maintain.

What makes the All-Terrain Knee unique is a special mechanism that allows the knee to quickly switch between providing support and moving. Most prosthetics are designed for one or the other, but the All-Terrain Knee provides a high level of stability and natural movement, resulting in fewer falls and less tiring movements compared to other knee prosthetics. 

Jan guessed there are about 1,000 youth and adults using his prosthetic knee right now. (The All-Terrain Knee was commercialized through a company Jan helped create called Legworks.)

Of course, the All-Terrain Knee can help a user walk, but that’s just the beginning. You can also run, jump, skip, kick and do just about every movement possible. 

“There are no boundaries as to how the knee can be used,” said Jan. “It’s really up to the person, in terms of their capabilities and in terms of what they feel comfortable with.”  

He’s seen his prosthetic knee in action. He’s seen people play soccer, basketball, ball hockey, rock climb and even snowboard wearing his invention. 

There is one limitation – the All-Terrain Knee is designed for people 12 years and older. 

He wants to give younger kids the same opportunity, so he’s set his sights on developing a smaller pediatric version. 

“It just makes sense, you start the kids on this knee as they grow, and then they can use the adult version later,” he said. 

He’s developed and tested a prototype but needs support and funding to complete the development and conduct clinical trials. 

With your support Jan can take this prototype out of the lab and into the lives of kids who just want to join their friends on the playground, in the park, or anywhere else that want to be active and included.