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Date: 07/01/2025

Orthotists and Prosthetists

Design, measure, fit, and adapt orthopedic braces, appliances or prostheses, such as limbs or facial parts for patients with disabling conditions.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Show and explain orthopedic and prosthetic appliances to healthcare workers.
    • Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.
    • Construct and fabricate appliances, or supervise others constructing the appliances.
    • Design orthopedic and prosthetic devices, based on physicians' prescriptions and examination and measurement of patients.
    • Select materials and components to be used, based on device design.
    • Publish research findings or present them at conferences and seminars.
    • Train and supervise support staff, such as orthopedic and prosthetic assistants and technicians.
    • Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.
    • Make and modify plaster casts of areas to be fitted with prostheses or orthoses to guide the device construction process.
    • Train and supervise support staff, such as orthopedic and prosthetic assistants and technicians.
    • Maintain patients' records.
    • Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.
    • Construct and fabricate appliances, or supervise others constructing the appliances.
    • Research new ways to construct and use orthopedic and prosthetic devices.
    • Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.
    • Instruct patients in the use and care of orthoses and prostheses.
    • Confer with physicians to formulate specifications and prescriptions for orthopedic or prosthetic devices.
    • Update skills and knowledge by attending conferences and seminars.
    • Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.
    • Fit, test, and evaluate devices on patients, and make adjustments for proper fit, function, and comfort.

    Skills

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 78240/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 37.61/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 460
    • Yearly Projected Openings 30

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Concern for Others
    • Cooperation
    • Analytical Thinking

    Tools

    • Alignment jig
    • Anvils
    • Automatic lathe or chucking machine
    • Belt sander
    • Bench vises
    • Bending machines
    • Calipers
    • Cast cutters or saws
    • Claw hammer
    • Deburring tool
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Electro pneumatic transducers
    • Electromyography EMG units
    • Goggles
    • Goniometers or arthrometers
    • Half round file
    • Hand reamer
    • Heat guns
    • Hex keys
    • Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
    • Laboratory safety ovens
    • Levels
    • Masks or accessories
    • Medical exam or non surgical procedure gloves
    • Medical tape measures
    • Mill saw file
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Pipe vises
    • Power buffers
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Power planes
    • Power routers
    • Power sanders
    • Power saws
    • Pressure indicators
    • Protractors
    • Punching pliers
    • Rasps
    • Rulers
    • Scanners
    • Sewing machines
    • Shears
    • Spot welding machine
    • Surgical isolation or surgical masks
    • Tablet computers
    • Tongs
    • Traveling column milling machine
    • Utility knives
    • Vacuum molding machines

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Medical software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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