From The Editor

"...I dream things that never were, and say, Why not?'"
                  --George Bernard Shaw, English playwright

These words could well apply to the prosthetists, engineers, and other visionaries who constantly seek to produce better prosthetic and orthotic devices to improve the quality of life for amputees and orthotic users. This issue's feature articles on current and future prosthetic knees illustrate just one aspect of creative thinking in the O&P field.

Of course, a spur to bringing these ideas to life is business competition and the need to be profitable. Even renowned labor leader Samuel Gompers, the first president of the American Federation of Labor, said, "The worst crime against working people is a company that fails to operate at a profit." However, when does "fair profit" cross the line and become "greed"? This is a soul-searching question every conscientious business owner would need to ask him or herself.

Creative thinking, practical knowledge and skills, altruism, and commercial interests form a seemingly unlikely quartet ultimately working for the benefit of O&P and allied health consumers. Here is another quote to think about, this one from that famous writer, "Anonymous": "In the race for quality, there is no finish line."

Table Of Contents - October 2003

	Prosthetic Knees: What’s Currently New and Impressive? What makes the continuing search for that perfect knee so interesting is the myriad widely divergent approaches designers are now exploring—hydraulic, mechanical, and computerized—as reflected in the variety of available knee designs currently regarded as state-of-the-art. Feature
	Prosthetic Knees: What’s on the Way? Feature
	Geriatric Patients: Are They Getting the Best Prosthetic Choices? Classifying geriatric patients appropriately is crucial to providing beneficial components. Geriatric Patients
	Superb Customer Service: Increase Referrals Without Deep Discounting! Leading EDGE
	Scoliosis Symposium Success In an imperfect world, sometimes things do come together almost perfectly. This was the case at a symposium on idiopathic scoliosis presented at the Portland, Oregon, Shriners Hospital for Children, which brought together leading experts in the field.
	Optimum Thoracic Pad Placement
	Got FAQs? Got FAQs?
	Project Hope: Aiding Disabled Children in Russia Salute!
	Teen Expands Lifestyle After Amputation Today's Consumer
	HIPAA Security and the Administrative Safeguards—Part 2 DC Direct
	VASI Offers Advanced Pediatric Hand Technology Innovations
	Ramona Okumura, CP Profiles
	Hospital Undercover Agent Perspective
	From The Editor Viewpoints