Major Lab – Prosthetics and Orthotics Rehabilitation Technology Assessment Laboratory (PORTAL)

Matty Major co-authors two chapters of the 5th edition of the Atlas of Amputations and Limb Deficiencies: Surgical, Prosthetic, and Rehabilitation Principles, titled “Prosthetic Foot and Ankle Mechanisms” (ch 32) and “Prosthetic Knee Mechanisms” (ch 33).

Matty Major is appointed as Director of the new Northwestern Univeristy Masters in Prosthetics and Orthotics Research (MPO-R) degree program, offering students dual training in O&P clinical care and advanced rehabilitation research methods.

Masters students take all three top prizes for best poster at the 2024 50th American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists Annual Meeting & Scientific Symposium.

♦ 1st place: Do Clinical Assessments of Upper-Limb Prosthesis Users   Sufficiently Capture All Dimensions of Anatomical Hand Function? Abby Citterman, ^Antonio Barron, Kelbi Magnuson, Renato Delos Reyes, Matty Major.

♦ 2nd place: Effects of unilateral myoelectric transradial prosthesis use on upper body musculoskeletal dynamics during goal-oriented tasks. Amanda Kemper, Michael Consentino, Russell Johnson, Wendy Murry, Matty Major.

♦ 3rd place: Effects of prosthetic design features on osteoarthritis risk in the sound limb: a scoping review. Megan Grunst, Kate Grylicki, Pauline Porucznik, Wendy Beattie, Matty Major.

Dr. Seth Donahue, postdoctoral fellow, was awarded a 2023 National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Switzer Research Fellowships Program for his project titled “Personalized Biofeedback and Prosthetic Intervention for Locomotor Rehabilitation of Persons with Lower Limb Amputation.” Congratulations, Seth!

Kristen John, MPO, Madison Nastruz, MPO, and Ross Kelly, MPO, receive first place in the Orthotic and Prosthetic Foundation for Education and Research 2023 ABC Student Poster Prize for their study titled “The Effects of Prosthesis Mechanical Properties on Balance in Unilateral Transtibial Prosthesis Users: A Literature Review“. Congratulations!

Matty Major receives award for “Top Downloaded Article” in Respirology for his article titled “Proposed novel treatment paradigm of aberrant gait and balance kinematics in patients with severe COPD”.

Ryan Caldwell, CP, is receives the Hanger Impact Award for Outcomes Collaboration, recognizing his embrace and excellence in Integrity, Patient-Focus, Innovation, Outcomes, and Leadership in patient care.

Bradley Moore is awarded a Student Travel Award from the American Society of Biomechanics to present results from his study titled “Effects of unilateral arm constraint on trip recovery: Preliminary results” at the 2022 North American Congress on Biomechanics in Ottawa, Canada.

Bradley Moore successfully defends his MS dissertation for his project titled “Investigation into the Effects of Arm Dominance and Unilateral Arm Constraint on Mechanisms of Perturbation Recovery”. Congrats!

Matty Major appointed as an Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering

Matty Major serves as Editor for Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology Special Topic Issue on “Soft Tissue Biomechanics in Wound Healing and Prevention“

Emily Mueller, MPO, receives first place in the OPERF 2022 ABC Inaugural Student Poster Prize for her study titled “A Literature Review on the Effects of Slope-Adaptive Prosthetic Feet on Gait Performance in Unilateral Transtibial Prosthesis Users“. Congratulations!

Matty Major delivers keynote address to the ISPO 18th World Congress.

Clare Severe successfully defends her MS dissertation for her project titled “The Response of Upper Limb Prosthesis Users to a Simulated Trip”. Congrats!