“Prosthetic” and “orthotic” are not the correct word – the noun – for = the products we provide, and “prosthetics” and ‘orthotics” are not the = plural forms of that noun. The proper words for these devices are = “prosthesis” and “orthosis”, and the plural for these devices are = “prostheses” and “orthoses”.
The words “prosthetic(s)” and “orthotics(s)” are adjectives – modifiers, = as in the “The customer received his prosthetic device” in which = “prosthetic” explains (modifies) the noun “device”. The same = construction would apply to the sentence “the patient received medical = treatment” in which the word “medical” qualifies what kind of treatment = he received. But while nobody says “the patient received his medical”, = folks now say “the customer received his prosthetic”.
“I work in prosthetics and orthotics” has always been accepted = construction to describe our work. I believe (help me out, English = grammar experts!) that the words “in prosthetics and orthotics” are an = adverb phrase which modifies the verb “I work”, and having two modifiers =
– the adjectives “orthotics” and “prosthetics” – included in such a = phrase is not a problem. It could lead to confusion, though: you can = also correctly say “I work in limbs and braces” and in this case the = adverb phrase contains two plural nouns. So one could conclude = incorrectly that the sentence “I work in prosthetics and orthotics” uses = the words “prosthetics” and “orthotics” as nouns.
The use of the adjective as a noun in this context started, to the best = of my knowledge, in the early ’80s when podiatrists began to refer to = their foot orthoses as “orthotics” – I’ve never heard anyone suggest why = this occurred, whether from lack of understanding the history of the = word that was coined to replace “brace” or to give a distinctive name to = their product and make it sound fancier than “arch supports”, but the = word now has wide acceptance. “I got my prosthetic yesterday” has = derived from a similar incorrect construction.
And usage determines our language – if lots of people call them = “orthotics” and you and I know that they are referring to FOs when they = say that, then it more or less IS correct usage. “I got my prosthetic = last week” sounds dreadful to me, but this construction will, too, = become accepted in time; I hear it already. The French language is = officially regulated by the Acad=E9mie fran=E7aise which determining = standards of acceptable grammar and vocabulary for that language – = English has no such official guardian, thus usage is determined, for = better or worse, by those who speak it. Now that physicians and = therapists and even some O&P professional are saying “Let me see your = prosthetic”, the game is clearly lost.
I myself will continue to use “prosthetic” and “orthotic” exclusively as = adjectives, but I have no illusion that this will stem the tide of those = who use these words incorrectly as nouns.
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The list has been through this before and it is pretty much a lost = cause.
Orthotic and prosthetic are adjectives.
An artificial limb is not a prosthetic. It is a prosthetic device or a = prosthesis.=20
An arch support is not an orthotic. It is a foot orthosis.
Orthotics and Prosthetics are used as nouns as in the “Field of = Orthotics” or the “Field of Prosthetics”.
The Podiatrists found that most insurance policies excluded arch = supports just as they exclude eye glasses. They tried to get around this = by changing the name for an arch support to an orthotic. It didn’t work = but through common usage the language gets bent.
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I have yet to read in a dictionary that “orthotic” or “prosthetic” is a=20 noun. They are adjectives describing our respective fields of=20 expertise. I do expect that to change, however, in orthotics because of =
the common usage of “orthotics” to describe foot orthoses.
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Prosthetics and Orthotics – in my opinion – refers to the profession (or = the actual field of study we receive degrees in) and not to the devices. = Orthoses and Prostheses are the devices we fabricate.
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I feel the terms refer to the professional practice as a whole.
However, for the past 15 years or so, I have coined the term, “External = Limb Prosthetics”, or “External Clinical Limb Prosthetics”. I created these terms following a number of questions from other professionals whether I = did total joint replacements, and other internal “prosthetics”.
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When I went to school (Northwestern) in 1983 I was taught and came to = accept that we practice in the field or profession of Orthotics and = Prosthetics. The devices that we make as part of the service we provide = are called orthoses and prostheses. From outside the field, the devices = are still refered to as braces, splints, supports, corsets, collars, = cages, etc… I still hear that within the field of pedorthics that a = foot orthosis is called an “orthotic.”
