National Museum of Health and Medicine continues to expand its holdings
of O&P related artifacts thanks to the orthotics & prosthetics (O&P)
community
The National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute
of Pathology (NMHM-AFIP) is actively acquiring artifacts that document
the O&P community’s rich history and contributions to the history of
medicine.
Donations recently received by the museum include:
– Prostheses associated with the work of the Vietnam Veterans of America
Foundation (VVAF) in Cambodia and Vietnam. Donated to the NMHM on behalf
of the VVAF by Larry Warren, VVAF Director of Post-Conflict
Rehabilitation Programs, and William Brown, VVAF Program Administrator,
one of these prostheses is made of materials native to Cambodia and the
other is an example of prostheses designed and produced by VVAF
post-Conflict rehabilitation programs.
– Prostheses once owned by Mr Theodore Collichio, a veteran of WWII who,
following his military service, worked for the Reading Railroad in the
Philadelphia area as a breakman. In 1955, Mr. Colicchio lost both of his
legs below the knee in a rail accident. Donated to the NMHM by Mr
Collichio’s son, Michael Collichio, RN, these prostheses were
manufactured by Frank J. Malone & Son, Inc. of Philadelphia PA, with
office in Lansdale, PA, Bensalem, PA and Wilmington, DE.
– A cynoplasty prosthesis, including 2 cable systems and 3 terminal
devices, once owned by Mr James Kruger, a veteran of WWII. This
prosthesis was donated to the NMHM by Mr Justin Horowitz, CPO on behalf
of M & M Prosthetic Associates of Kingston, New York and Prosthetic and
Orthotic Associates of Middletown, New York.
The NMHM/AFIP appreciates the generosity of these donors along with
everyone in the O&P community who has helped to spread the word about
the museum’s O&P collecting initiative. The goal of this initiative is
to create a comprehensive reference collection for researchers, for
orthotists & prosthetists, and for the general public, a collection that
illustrates continuity and change in the science and art of O&P and the
vital roles of the orthotist and the prosthetist in the rehabilitation
team.
The NMHM/AFIP inspires interest in personal and public health and
promotes understanding of medicine – past, present, and future – with a
special emphasis on American military medicine. In achieving this
mission, the NMHM has had a significant history of collecting and
displaying orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) related technology. The
earliest examples of artificial limbs in the collection were
manufacturer’s samples demonstrated to Civil War veterans. Other
acquisitions include artificial limbs dating from the Second World War,
including examples issued to a wounded soldier to others hand crafted
for wounded comrades in Prisoner of War camps. The museum’s current
“Battlefield Surgery 101” exhibit includes a selection of prostheses
dating from the 1860s to the present. This display shows visitors how
the field of prosthetics has changed over time, consistently
representing unique art and medical science. The exhibit also includes
an Otto Bock C-Leg, which is on loan to the museum from the Prosthetic
Laboratory of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The NMHM seeks YOUR help to ensure that O&P resources identified by YOU
and YOUR colleagues can be used to advance scholarly and public
understanding of O&P itself, physical disability, and the various
disciplines within the field rehabilitation medicine and technology.
To this end, the NMHM would be delighted to receive additional donations
of watershed O&P technology, including prototypes and other
newly-developed orthoses and prostheses. The museum continues to welcome
examples of such technology that are complete, but they do not need to
be fully operational or in perfect condition. We also continue welcome
donations of scholarly papers, popular publications, technical manuals,
and commercial catalogs that relate to O&P technology.
The museum especially welcomes donations of technology and literature
associated with:
1. The care of U.S. service members and veterans during wartime,
including World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and the current Global
the War on Terrorism;
2. The role of Veterans Administration Hospitals and their staffs in the
field of rehabilitation medicine, specifically orthotics and
prosthetics;
3. Programmatic and research collaborations between 501(c)(3) nonprofit
charities, such as the Orthotic and Prosthetic Assistance Fund and
military and/or federal agencies (eg. Army, U.S. Agency for
International Development, etc.) that help to enable individuals with
physical disabilities – especially those served by professionals in the
O&P community – to enjoy the rewards of personal achievement, physical
fitness, and social interaction;
4. O&P companies that have, whether today or in the past, received
military and/or federal government contracts to design and develop
assistive technology, specifically orthoses and prostheses, to benefit
military and/or civilian populations; and
5. The longstanding relationship between O&P and competition in national
and international sporting events, including the Paralympics.
Please note that in every instance, the museum seeks to collect O&P
technology that donors would deem to be redundant, nonessential, and/or
no longer central to the provision of care to an individual with a
disability. In collecting O&P and related rehabilitation technology, we
do not in any way want to deny this technology to individuals who choose
to use it.
Donations to the NMHM are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed
by U.S. law. To learn about recent donations to please consult NMHM news
releases at: http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum/news/news_releases.html
For additional information, please contact:
Jeffrey S. Reznick, Ph.D.
Senior Curator
National Museum of Health and Medicine
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, DC 20306-6000
Tel (202) 782-2208
Fax (202) 782-3573
[email protected]
www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum
