The O&P EDGE Magazine

The British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics (BAPO) launched an independent economic analysis examining the case for increased investment in O&P services in the United Kingdom (UK). The report, conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, estimated that the current O&P workforce shortfall in the UK could leave approximately 193,000 people without adequate access to O&P care.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that its six-month moratorium on accepting Medicare enrollment applications from durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers, which became effective February 27, has now expired. The National Provider Enrollment Contractors are again accepting initial DMEPOS enrollment applications.

Adrienne Hill, MHA, CPO/L, FAAOP, is the recipient of the Live in Motion Foundation’s 2026 Educate to Elevate Scholarship, a $7,500 award supporting O&P educators and faculty pursuing advanced academic degrees. Hill is the program director of the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program and a clinical assistant professor at Kennesaw State University.

A doctoral student at Northern Arizona University (NAU) received an award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his work on a flexible AFO for children with cerebral palsy. Sam Hopkins won the NIH F31 fellowship, which is given to doctoral students doing research training in health-related areas. Photograph of the AFO courtesy of NAU.

AOPA’s national assembly starts on September 8, and since just about every table in the exhibit hall will have some type of swag gift on their table, we asked our followers to tell us their favorite. There was a three-way tie for second place: 23 percent each chose a USB stick, stress balls, and pens as favorites. (This writer still uses a pen with an SPS logo on it.) One follower said their favorite merch was a tri bike wrench. We’ll be on the lookout for that this year.

Hike Medical, a medical device company and artificial intelligence platform for the O&P, durable medical equipment (DME), and podiatry industries, raised $22.5 million in seed and Series A funding. The investment will help the company expand its artificial intelligence, clinical, and 3D printing platforms, and fund hiring across engineering and sales roles in San Francisco and manufacturing in Peoria, Illinois, to serve the broader DME market.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is establishing the Nebraska Center for 3D Innovation (NE3D), a research hub for developing advanced 3D-printed technology for healthcare. NE3D was initiated by prosthetics researcher Jorge Zuniga, PhD, associate professor.

Humotech, a developer of wearable device platforms in prosthetics, orthotics, and exoskeletons, named Carl Gordulic, MBA, as its new CFO. Gordulic brings more than 20 years of experience leading organizations through growth, change, and transformation. His background spans healthcare, manufacturing, and technology services.

“The label tells us how the encounter feels. It tells us very little about the patient,” Devina Wadhwa, MD, writes in the MedPage Today Perspective column. “When we describe a patient as difficult, we often stop asking questions.” Neither Brinkmann nor Wadhwa discounts the fact that a proportion of any patient group can be challenging to work with. “Some patients arrive angry. Some reject recommendations. Some return repeatedly without improvement. Some challenge every suggestion,” Wadhwa writes.

The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) will be accepting nominations for its 2027 rising stars until September 18. AOPA’s O&P Rising Stars initiative is seeking nominations for O&P professionals 35 or younger who are making a significant impact in the industry. AOPA is looking for individuals who are driving change, pushing boundaries, and demonstrating exceptional leadership in their work, in clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and industry advancement.