Prosthesis helps flamingo stand, may help it fly again
Makarand Saraf, a lecturer from Mumbai's All India Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and his team have successfully fitted a prosthesis on the adolescent bird.
However, since the artificial leg only enables it to walk, not fly, next on the team's agenda is an improvised prosthesis that will help it take wing, reports Umesh K Parida.
The bird, which is suspected to have got its leg entangled in a fishing net or nylon fishing line, was first spotted by wildlife photographer Abhijit Chattopadhyay, who alerted forest officials led by Vikas Bairagi. After initial treatment, it was released back in the wetland on May 15.
But with it hovering around the same spot, the team decided to give it a prosthetic leg that would help it move around.
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An adolescent Greater flamingo, whose left leg had to be amputated due to an injury, has been given a prosthetic leg. With the director of All India Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Dr Anil Kumar Gaur green-signalling the project after the bird was found hovering around the same place it was released after initial treatment, AIIPMR lecturer Makarand Saraf, along with photographer Abhijit Chattopadhyay and Vikas Bairagi, took measurements for the fabrication of the bird's prosthesis on May 17 in the form of a plaster of Paris cast, but abandoned the idea of taking a foam impression after finding the bird distressed due to the human contact.
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Then stepped in two companies, including a German firm's Indian arm. Amit Mukerji, director-special projects, at Otto Bock Healthcare India Pvt Ltd, provided prosthesis fabrication support, while the inner lining material for the prosthesis was provided by Rushabh Shah of Podiapro India Pvt Ltd, with technical support from Bhoomiksha Rathore. With the team facing challenges with the prosthetic leg's buoyancy due to its closed foot design, it was redesigned to a single toe open foot with side support, and fitted on the bird on July 6.
The artificial leg has improved the bird's balance, mobility and chances of its survival in the wild. No fitment or skin problems were observed when the Greater flamingo underwent a check on July 19. The bird's progress has come as a huge boost to the team which has now decided to work on a new prosthesis that will help it fly. Saraf said, "The carbon fibre impregnated with a matrix of acrylic resin (carbon fibre used in manufacture of aeroplane parts and Formula 1 racing cars) helped keep the prosthesis light, strong, waterproof, and durable — suitable for a wading bird's lifestyle.
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The other members of the team that has helped the bird stand on its two legs were Urmila Naukudkar, and prosthetics-orthotics students Sachin Kawankar, Kashish Malhotra, Chailsi Pareek, Mohit Mujumdar and Amruta Dhakate. The Otto Bock team of Santosh Rout, Jemin Chauhan and Katyayan Sharma had made the prosthesis.
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