CU Limb Restoration Program - Osseointegration
Osseointegration is an advanced reconstructive surgery technique for amputees that eliminates the need for a traditional prosthesis. Because the implant connects directly with the bone of the residual limb, osseointegration patients regain body awareness and improve their balance and gait.
Osseointegration offers patients a better quality of life and improved function & mobility without the usual socket prosthesis-related issues such as pinching, sweating, muscle weakness, and skin irritation.
Osseointegrated bone-anchored prostheses can be implanted in the humerus (upper arm bone), radius or ulna (forearm bones), femur (thigh bone), or tibia (lower leg bone).
What is Osseointegration
Am I a Candidate for Osseointegration Limb Replacement?
Osseointegration implants are a good option for amputees who are having a poor experience with their current prosthesis or do not want to use a traditional prosthetic leg or arm. Socket prostheses can be difficult for patients with a residual limb that is scarred, short, or wide. Because osseointegrated implants are implanted directly into the remaining bone, the shape of the residual limb does not cause the pain and discomfort patients typically feel with a traditional socket prosthesis.
Patient Evaluation Process
Why choose the University of Colorado Limb Restoration Program?
Dr. Jason Stoneback, Director of the Limb Restoration Program, is one of the few physicians across the globe who has been trained in all osseointegration implant procedures.
Since its founding in 2015, the University of Colorado Limb Restoration Program has been unique in its comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach. All of our patients receive world-class care and personalized attention. Each patient is monitored by our Osseointegration Program Coordinator, who guides patients through the program.
Our team includes a social worker and amputee rehabilitation specialist, as well as physicians specializing in wound care, plastic surgery, foot & ankle care, interventional radiology, endocrinology, rehabilitation medicine, prosthetics, infectious disease, gait analysis, vascular medicine, and musculoskeletal oncology. We are proud to earn our 100% patientsatisfaction rate.
Our Team Members
Osseointegration Physicians
Jason W. Stoneback, MD
Dr. Jason W. Stoneback, Director of the Limb Restoration Program, was one of the first orthopedic surgeons to offer osseointegration surgery in the United States and is widely considered to be one of the best osseointegration surgeons in America. He has performed over 100 successful osseointegration surgeries and is regarded as a world expert in the field. Dr. Stoneback has been a practicing orthopedic surgeon since graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2006 and was trained in both OPRA and press fit osseointegration techniques in Germany and the Netherlands. He strongly believes in the connection between form and function and strives to provide patients with real options – often when all other choices have been exhausted.
Learn more about Dr. Stoneback’s clinical and research work by clicking here.
Danielle Melton, MD
Dr. Danielle Melton, Director of Amputation Medicine and Rehabilitation for the Limb Restoration Program, specializes in the rehabilitation of orthopedic trauma patients. She is a leading medical expert on amputation medicine and osseointegrated amputees and has been selected by her peers as a “Best Doctor in America” every year since 2009. She is the Co-Chair of the Limb Restoration Rehabilitation Group of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, serves as the Scientific Chair for the Limb Loss and Preservation Registry (a National Institutes of Health/Mayo Clinic initiative), and does research with the Department of Defense’s Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC).
Learn more about Dr. Melton’s clinical and research work by clicking here.
Osseointegration News & Video
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New Faculty Member in Department of Orthopedics Brings Expertise in Prosthetic Limb Technology
Jul 24, 2023Eric J. Earley, PhD, was part of a Swedish research team that developed a system allowing people with amputations above the elbow achieve an unprecedented level of control over the individual fingers on a bionic hand. Eric J. Earley, PhD, a new faculty member in the Department of Orthopedics in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is bringing his expertise in prosthetic limbs to the department’s Osseointegration Research Consortium. Led by Jason Stoneback, MD, the lab is focused on developing and improving bone-anchored limb technology aimed at creating prosthetic limbs that can be directly inserted into bones, as opposed to the traditional prosthetic that attaches via a socket that goes around the outside of the limb.Full story -
No Data Scientist NeededOpens in a new window
Jul 31, 2023Dr. Danielle Melton plays a key role in promoting data-driven care in the field of Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P). She is the director of amputation medicine and rehabilitation and an associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado. As a member of the Executive Advisory Panel to the Limb Loss & Preservation Registry (LLPR), she advocates for the aggregation of data from O&P facilities and hospital systems to provide evidence-based information for clinical decision-making. By joining the LLPR, facilities can contribute de-identified data on patients with limb loss and preservation to create a comprehensive national database. This data can be used to analyze treatment pathways, rehabilitation timelines, and long-term outcomes for patients with similar characteristics. Dr. Danielle Melton believes that using such data will help justify medical necessity for insurance reimbursements and enable clinicians to provide patients with more informed care based on benchmarked outcomes for specific patient groups. Overall, she emphasizes that the transition to data-driven care is essential for improving patient outcomes and aligning with changing industry expectations.Opens in a new window Full story -
Spotlight: Novel Mobility Survey Taps Prosthesis Users’ Perspectives to Guide CareOpens in a new window
Jun 5, 2023For most people, a bump from a passerby on the sidewalk, a hike on an uneven trail, or even carrying a shopping basket in the grocery store doesn’t affect mobility. However, these everyday encounters and activities can present unpredictable challenges for those who wear a lower-limb prosthesis. Understanding mobility challenges like these—and addressing them using feedback obtained directly from prosthesis users—is a primary, yet elusive, goal for rehabilitation physicians, prosthetists, and researchers alike.Opens in a new window Full story -
LLPR Kicks Amputee Data Collection Into High GearOpens in a new window
Apr 18, 2023It’s been just over a year since the Limb Loss and Preservation Registry (LLPR) flipped its shingle from “Coming Soon” to “Open for Business.” Co-founded by the Mayo Clinic with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the LLPR is now receiving data about amputee care from more than a dozen clinical partners, and new affiliates are joining at a rate of roughly one a week.Opens in a new window Full story
PRACTICE LOCATIONS
CU Limb Restoration Program - University of Colorado Hospital
1635 Aurora Court Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion, 4th floor, Aurora, CO 80045To make an appointment call: 1-844-800-LIMB (5462)
Fax: 720-553-0402
For urgent or emergency transfers, call the Access Center at: (720) 848-2828
E-Mail:
LimbRestoration@uchealth.org