The Orthotic and Prosthetic Education and Research Foundation (OPERF) recently announced its 2011 Research Awards Program recipients.

Kinsey Herrin

Mark D. Geil

Brock Sande

John Frederick
Mark D. Geil, PhD, Georgia State University, Atlanta, and Kinsey Herrin, resident orthotist in the Orthotics and Prosthetics department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia, won the Small Grant Award for their paper, “Minimizing Bracing in the Treatment of Idiopathic Toe Walking: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare Functional Outcomes after Treatment with an Articulated Ankle-Foot Orthosis and a Rigid Carbon Fiber Footplate.”
OPERF awarded two Resident Travel Awards this year. John Frederick, CO, LO, BEP, Scheck & Siress, Oak Park, Illinois, received a Resident Travel Award for his paper, “Transtibial Amputees’ Ability and Knowledge of Sock Management and the Relationship to the Educational Needs of Amputees.” Brock Sande, CP, of Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, Richland, Washington, received the second Resident Travel Award for his submission, “Using Gait Analysis to Compare the Biomechanical Effects of AFOs Designed with a Solid Ankle versus AFOs Designed with a Compression Heel.”
“The volunteers who served as clinical and scientific reviewers for this year’s submission provided help and support to ensure that all applicants received constructive feedback and suggestions,” OPERF noted in a press release.