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A large number of product innovations are the milestones in the success story and, thus, to date an important driver of growth for the medical technology company Ottobock. The entire company history has been shaped by developments that have revolutionised, innovated and moved forward orthopaedic technology. Otto Bock started the company in 1919, launching the first serial production of prosthetic components to supply the large number of World War I veterans. In the 1950s, Ottobock was the first company to use polyurethane plastics to substitute wood, which was a scarce resource then. “Back then, we made a virtue of necessity”, explains Dr.Hans Dietl, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and thus responsible for the Research and Development division at Ottobock. “Various plastics, or the use of carbon today, allow us to develop products that are ever better and ever more efficient.” The 1960s and 1970s, by comparison, were characterised by two key Ottobock innovations: myoelectrics for upper limb prostheses and the modular system for lower limb prostheses. In myoelectrics, weak electric voltages are utilised that are generated each time a muscle contracts. These are measured by means of electrodes on the skin, amplified by electronics and used as control signals for artificial joints. Modular lower limb prostheses, where the prosthetic foot, knee joint and socket are connected to each other by special adapters, are today's standard in fitting amputees with prostheses. The adjustable connecting element invented by Ottobock in 1969 permits static corrections and allows components to be exchanged. The key patent is a true milestone that changed leg prosthesis fittings around the world. In 1997, Ottobock launched the world's first completely microprocessor-controlled lower limb prosthesis system—the C-Leg. With products like Genium, Michelangelo or C-Brace, Ottobock always sets new standards in the prosthetic care of people with disabilities.
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