About Our Center

Director: Bruce J. Sangeorzan, MD
Associate Director: Joseph M. Czerniecki, MD

The mission of the Center is to provide broad based investigators the opportunity to conduct basic and clinical research and effectively disseminate their findings in an effort to impact the quality of life and functional status of veteran amputees and veterans who are at risk for amputation.

Sponsored by:
US Dept of Veterans Affairs
Rehabilitation Research and Development Service
810 Vermont
Washington, D.C.
Center Grant #A0806C

OBJECTIVES:

• Establish a community of clinical and basic scientists to pursue research objectives in the area of prosthetics and amputation; seeking ways to improve the possibility of preservation of the lower limb and its function.


• Create an effective program for prevention of limb loss by developing a better basic understanding of the deformities that lead to ulceration, the role of prophylactic correction of deformity, and the role of protective footwear.


• Improve prosthetic design by comparing suspension systems, measuring the effect of impact absorbing prosthetic shanks in below knee (BK) prostheses, and investigating the development of a powered prosthesis.


• Develop more effective outcomes tools to assess the benefits of salvage vs. amputation and the quality of life of the amputee