By LER staff
Product innovation, customization to individual needs, and private-label manufacturing services for other brands have driven continual growth at American Orthopedics Manufacturing Corporation in Mt Vernon, NY. After all, it was innovation that jumpstarted the company: In 1962 podiatrist Jack Silverman, DPM, who founded the company in 1948, received a patent for exclusive manufacturing techniques for custom-molded shoes.
Now the American Orthopedics staff of podiatric, orthotic, and pedorthic professionals and representatives provide custom products to most of the lower extremity practitioners in the US throughout the course of a year, said Chief Operating Officer Chris Gizzi, CO.
“Basically, our philosophy has been, ‘Tell us the problem you’re having and we’ll try to come up with a device or modality that will help your patient,’” Gizzi said. “We do have standard custom devices and various styles of custom shoes, but we like to say, ‘[If] you have an issue or you’re looking to design something, give us a call and let’s discuss what’s going on with the patient. We’ll build it together or we’ll get the problem solved.’ We pride ourselves on making the end user happy and, in turn, making our customers happy.”
American Orthopedics has evolved from a custom shoe company to an enterprise offering a full line of orthotic devices. Among the company’s newest offerings is the Revolution AFO (ankle foot orthosis), an adjustable AFO that Gizzi invented. The orthosis mimics the function of the posterior tibial tendon that supports the arch by pulling up the medial side of the leg, not across the apex of the arch. Practitioners or patients can adjust the custom-molded inner boot arch suspension system as often as necessary using a ratcheting buckle.
“It has a custom-molded inner boot arch suspension system that can be modified by a ratcheting buckle to increase or decrease the amount of support the device gives to either the medial longitudinal arch or the lateral longitudinal arch, depending on the person’s diagnosis or issues,” Gizzi said.
He said he came up with the device because customers had asked him for an arch-suspending device that was more anatomically correct.
“This device has begun to change practitioners’ thought process when it comes to AFOs, moving it from the traditionally static rigid device to something that is dynamic and somewhat flexible while providing superior support,” said Gizzi, who noted this shift in thinking has caused a dramatic increase in the sales and popularity of the Revolution AFO in 2013.
The device, which went on sale in November 2011, has been through case studies at Gifford Medical Center’s Sharon Sports Medicine Clinic in Sharon, VT (see “Study shows adjustable AFO reduces pain, allows return to active lifestyle”), and at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine in New York City, Gizzi said. He noted that the company and its representatives are in the process of providing educational information on the device at conventions and conferences.
When it comes to balancing function and style in custom footwear, American Orthopedics always emphasizes function, Gizzi said. “We do have other divisions of the company that sell high-end custom footwear that is very nice looking, but those products are not for people with more serious foot problems. Our main focus is the orthopedic accommodative footwear.”
He added, “We’re looking at function first, and then we try to make the products as cosmetically pleasing as possible. We caution practitioners that they need to prepare the patient properly as to what to expect. Depending on their diagnosis, they may no longer be able to wear off-the-shelf shoes; they’re wearing therapeutic or orthopedic devices because they have a foot condition that doesn’t allow for them to wear [conventional] shoes. A custom orthopedic shoe may not look great, but it could possibly save your limb if you are a diabetic.”
With respect to custom footwear, he explained, “The ability to individualize our devices to the specific needs of the customer is what sets us apart from others. And innovations like the Revolution are helping us gain a lot of traction in ankle devices.”
About six years ago, American Orthopedics started doing some contract manufacturing for other orthotic labs, Gizzi said. “Our ability to manufacture for other labs has also driven us forward,” he adds. “We’re becoming known as the guys for manufacturing lower extremity products when you need it done.”
Article sponsored by American Orthopedics Manufacturing Corporation
