Interview: The professional prosthesis tester - The thigh amputated Cord Frederic Romberg about his function as a tester of the first active knee prosthesis

In 2001 Cord Frederic Romberg lost his left leg in a motorbike crash. Today he runs as the first German over rough and smooth testing the first active knee prosthesis. REAHCARE.de interviewed the 35-year-old TV designer about how he became a prosthesis tester and what he thinks about the new spare part.

01.11.2007

With the new knee prosthesis Cord Frederic
Romberg is able to climb stairs again
© Uni Heidelberg

REHACARE.de: You are testing the new knee prosthesis at the Orthopaedic University Hospital Heidelberg. What is new about it?
Cord Frederic Romberg: You can climb stairs and slants with it. You could not do that with former passive prosthesis . With these you need a lot of energy pulling the leg upstairs and you limp. The Powerknee is the first active prosthesis. This means it supports your movements while climbing the stairs with a motor. In the shoe of the healthy leg is a cushion. A sensor in the cushion measures what the healthy leg is doing and sends the information via radio to the knee. This is how the device knows: here is a step, draw up knee and leg.

REHACARE.de: How did you become a tester?
Cord Frederic Romberg: I had a lot of contact with the clinic due to my usual prosthesis. Four months ago I was asked if I would like to test the new device. When I saw the knee, from which there are only circa forty worldwide, I agreed.

REHACARE.de: How do the tests run?
Cord Frederic Romberg: Every second day I run around the clinic’s area for two hours, often accompanied by physiotherapists and a video camera which records how I walk . Furthermore I told some of the clinic’s staff members how the prosthesis works. So they can later show it to other patients.

REHACARE.de: And how do you walk with it?
Cord Frederic Romberg: I have to practice a lot – all the years I haven’t climbed stairs. And you have to hit the ground exactly. Even the introduction of the functions took three days. And still the knee weighs 4.5 kilos and the charging device is quite loud.

REHACARE.de: Is the device already available in Germany?
Cord Frederic Romberg: It is available for those who can afford to spend 80.000 Euros on it. If the health insurances will bear the expenses later is not clear.

REHACARE.de: Was it difficult to use a prosthesis after the accident?
Cord Frederic Romberg: My accident was quite traumatic and I often had phantom limb pains – this feels like my leg has never been lost. However, if you once accept the loss you want to use every technical facility. It is all a learning process.

REHACARE.de: What do you expect from prostheses in the future?
Cord Frederic Romberg: The technique gets better and better. My first prosthesis was mechanic – this one and my current one are poles apart. What I actually hope for is that some day it will be possible to clone extremities.

REHACARE.de