Blatchford has been taking part in the global effort to provide assistance to the people of Haiti following the earthquake in January. An estimated 4,000 people lost limbs resulting from injuries suffered in the 7.0 magnitude quake. The need for large numbers of artificial limbs, which can be fitted quickly, meant that the Atlas Limb system, developed by Blatchford for just such traumatic disasters, was the ideal solution for this scale of need. Blatchford has shipped 500 artificial leg systems which will be fitted to amputees under the auspices of the Medishare Group, a Miami based charity. The limbs will be fitted at the Medishare 240-bed ‘Tent’ hospital on the fringes of Port-au-Prince airport.
Those who lost limbs will need prolonged treatment and rehabilitation because the amputations carried out in the chaotic aftermath of the earthquake were often “Guillotine” amputations. In the effort to save lives surgeons quickly amputate straight across the limb, to release the victim from rubble or stop the spread of infection. The resulting amputation is therefore without the usual muscle layer at the end of the limb for healing and cushioning when the artificial limb is fitted. In these circumstances specialist limb fitting and manufacture is required to ensure that amputees can be rehabilitated safely and comfortably.