AMPUTATION ONLINE MAGAZINE
JANUARY 15, 2001
Volume 6 Issue No.1
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CONTENTS
Welcome to the very fist email only edition of Amputation Online magazine.
For the last five years AOLM has been available in the web/html version, it seems a change is as good as a rest and I feel inspired by the new direction and the number of people that have subscribed to the list of readers.
The emphasis on this email version is a little different. Firstly, there is a greater amount of content in this version and no pictures ! The scope and subject matter of AOLM has also expanded, particularly in the direction of new technologies and research. Whilst the old AOLM restricted "new technology" to prosthetic technologies, this version looks at prevention technologies and therapies in more detail.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND DEVELOPMENTS
'Smart fabric' responds to human touch
VICTORIA, B.C. - A Victoria company is winning awards for its futuristic "smart fabric" technology. The fibre optic-laced material developed by TACTEX responds to the human touch.
If you wanted channel 14, you would simply trace the number 14 on the arm of the chair' It was originally developed for the Canadian Space Agency to give robots a better sense of touch.
The company is now applying the technology to musical instruments, and recently won the "Most Innovative Product" award from a U.S. music industry trade fair.
Brian Slater is the marketing coordinator for TACTEX. He says the technology could also change how people control cellular phones, video games and television sets.
"You wouldn't have to go hunting for the remote anymore," he says. "You could embed all that stuff right in the furniture. You could put all of those kinds of functions into a surface that you control with gestures. So if you wanted channel 14, you would simply trace the number 14 on the arm of the chair."
The high tech fabric can also be covered with leather, plastic or even thin metal. http://www.tactex.com/index.html
Monkey brain operates machine
Scientists have used the brain signals from a monkey to drive a robotic arm.
As the animal stuck out its hand to pick up some food off a tray, an artificial neural system linked into the animal's head mimicked the activity in the mechanical limb.
It was an amazing sight to see the robot in my lab move, knowing that it was being driven by signals from a monkey brain Mandayam Srinivasan, MIT The system was even used to remotely control another robot arm 950 kilometres (600 miles) away in a different lab.
This is not the first time that a device has been operated by "brain power" alone, but the experiment marks a significant step forward in sophistication.
It holds out the prospect that, one day, paralysed patients might be able to command the movement of prosthetic limbs that have been "wired" into their brains.
Commenting on the research, Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi, of the Northwestern University Medical School, and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Illinois, US, said: "The idea of driving robotic limbs with what effectively amounts to the mere power of thought was once in the realm of science fiction. But this goal is edging closer to reality."
Net connection
Miguel Nicolelis, of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, US, and
colleagues, implanted an array of electrodes in several areas of a
monkey's brain known to be involved in motor function.
The electrodes were used to record brain activity as the animal learned reaching tasks, including reaching for small pieces of food placed randomly at four locations on a tray.
The mass of neural signal data generated during many repetitions of these tasks was fed into a computer, which analysed the information and matched it to the trajectory of the monkey's hand.
Every time the monkey then moved its hand to grab the food, the computer was able to process the brain signals to make similar, real-time, three-dimensional movements in a robotic arm. The signals were even sent over a standard internet connection to control another arm in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's "Touch Lab".
"It was an amazing sight to see the robot in my lab move, knowing that it was being driven by signals from amonkey brain at Duke," said Touch Lab director and co-researcher Mandayam Srinivasan. "It was as if the monkey had a 600-mile- (950-km-) long virtual arm."
Brain study
In previous research, it has been shown that a rat wired into an
artificial neural system can make a robotic water feeder move just by
willing it.
The idea of driving robotic limbs with what effectively amounts to the mere power of thought was once in the realm of science fiction
Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago But the latest work sets new benchmarks because it shows how to process more neural information at a faster speed to produce more sophisticated robotic movements. That the system can be made to work using a primate is also an important proof of principle.
Miguel Nicolelis told BBC News Online that people would obviously focus on possible future applications for quadriplegics but he said the system also offered a new way to probe the workings of the brain.
"We have designed a new paradigm to study how the brain processes information," he said.
"Until fairly recently, we tried to understand the brain by looking at one neuron at a time, but we all know the brain works in a parallel mode requiring the activation of huge numbers of cells to produce any behaviour.
"So the implementation of this technique for recording up to a 100 neurons in primates is a big deal for science."
Endovasc Receives Second Installment of $4.5 Million Funding Agreement
MONTGOMERY, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2000--Endovasc Ltd. Inc. (OTCBB:ENDV) today announced the second takedown of the funding agreement signed earlier this year. The agreement calls for a private placement of $1.5 million in two stages in return for Endovasc's convertible preferred stock.
M. Dwight Cantrell, chief financial officer, reported to shareholders at the company's annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Nov. 3rd, "We have taken the next step in the funding of our clinical trials, and with additional committed funds are assured of their continued success."
Dr. David Summers, Endovasc's chief executive officer said, "The new monies will finance our Liprostin(TM) Phase I/II clinical trials, as well as the continued research and development of Endovasc's recently acquired worldwide exclusive licensed nicotine receptor agonist (NRA)."
Liprostin(TM) Phase I/II clinical trials have begun at the University of Texas-Houston, Memorial Hermann Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Richard Smalling, a world renowned cardiovascular researcher who is co-director of the division of cardiology at University of Texas Medical School-Houston and director of clinical cardiology at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Liprostin(TM) which is a liposome encapsulated form of prostaglandin E-1 (PGE-1) will be tested to demonstrate improved circulation on the lower limbs of patients with "critical limb ischemia" (CLI) and avoid amputation.
Endovasc is the owner of the worldwide exclusive license from Stanford University for the development and commercialization of an outstanding, patent-pending research discovery for the use of nicotine as an angiogenic (new blood vessel growth) agent and a potential treatment of failing hearts. The discovery, made in the laboratory of Dr. John Cooke, associate professor of medicine and director of section of vascular medicine at the Stanford University, Cardiovascular Research Center was announced in March 2000 at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting and at the European Society of Cardiologist (ESC) in September 2000. Using small doses of simple nicotine, Dr. Cooke and colleagues stimulated angiogenesis in injured areas of the heart and limbs of mice. Research has progressed to work with rabbits, also conducted at Dr. Cooke's laboratory. The next planned stage in the United States will be a pig study conducted by Dr. Martin Leon at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New York, followed in the Spring of 2001 by human clinical trials in Italy conducted by Dr. Antonio Colombo, a world renowned cardiologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York and the EMO Centro Cuore Columbus Hospital in Milan.
Endovasc Ltd. Inc. is a biopharmaceutical/biotech company pioneering liposomal drug-delivery technology. The company's products and processes are covered by patents and trade secrets for competing in a multi-billion dollar market.
Collateral Therapeutics Announces Filings to Initiate European Clinical Trials For Non-Surgical Angiogenic Gene Therapy Treatment for Peripheral Vascular Disease
Marks Second Cardiovascular Gene Therapy Product to Advance to Clinical Trials
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Collateral Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLTX, news, msgs) today announced that the Company's strategic partner, Schering AG, Germany, is filing regulatory applications with six European health authorities covering the initiation of clinical trials of GENVASCOR(TM), a non-surgical angiogenic gene therapy product candidate for the treatment of patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD).
The initiation of these European studies marks Collateral's second product to advance to human clinical testing based on the Company's proprietary angiogenic gene therapy technology. The compound is designed to stimulate angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth) and has the potential to restore blood flow to ischemic (oxygen-deprived) regions of the leg. The Phase 1/2 clinical trials are expected to enroll up to 130 patients at 10 major European medical centers and are planned to begin later this year. The initial evaluation will include four different and distinct clinical protocols in order to evaluate a diverse group of patients with varying severities of PVD.
All protocols will be randomized, double blind and placebo-controlled and have been designed to assess the safety and potential beneficial effects of different doses.
"We are pleased that our second non-surgical angiogenic gene therapy product is entering the clinic and look forward to again working with our partner, Schering AG, to bring this important product candidate to market," said Jack W. Reich, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Collateral Therapeutics. "We believe it has the potential to one day make a major difference in the lives of patients with this debilitating disease."
This newest gene therapy product candidate from Collateral uses an adenovirus (deactivated cold virus) vector to deliver FGF-4, a growth factor gene that triggers the production of a protein which causes new blood vessels to grow in ischemic regions of the leg. These vessels could provide an alternate route for blood to flow around clogged or blocked arteries in legs. Its design is similar to Collateral's lead non-surgical angiogenic gene therapy product for coronary artery disease.
Peripheral vascular disease is a general term used to describe diseases affecting blood vessels of the arms and legs and is usually caused by decreased blood flow to arteries in the limbs due to artherosclerosis (fatty plaque deposits). PVD is a serious and painful condition that affects an estimated 726,000 Americans, most often in men over 50 years of age, and results in over 100,000 lower limb amputations annually in the U.S. Current treatments include life-long drug therapy and in more advanced cases, amputation or surgical interventions such as arterial grafting, angioplasty or surgical removal of the fatty plaque deposits. Collateral believes that this research may lead to a product that reduces the need for these traditional treatments, which can be ineffective, painful, costly and leave patients with an impaired quality of life.
Collateral Therapeutics, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, is a leader in the discovery and development of innovative non-surgical gene therapy products for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Collateral Therapeutics is developing non-surgical cardiovascular gene therapy products focused on: (1) angiogenesis, as a treatment approach for coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and congestive heart failure; (2) myocardial adrenergic signaling, as a treatment for congestive heart failure; and (3) heart muscle regeneration, to improve cardiac function for patients who havesuffered a heart attack.
Spike in diabetes -- especially among the young -- charted by country
November 6, 2000
(CNN) -- The lack of physical exercise and unhealthy eating habits are major contributors to a worldwide jump in diabetes rates among the younger, more economically productive age groups, according to doctors.
New figures released Monday at an international diabetes conference in Mexico City said over 151 million adults around the world are diabetic, up 11 percent in just five years.
"We can anticipate a further doubling in the first 25 years of the new millennium," said Sir George Alberti, the incoming president of the International Diabetes Federation, in a statement.
The Top 10 Estimated number of people age 20-79 with diabetes (in millions)
India 32.7
China 22.6
USA 15.3
Pakistan 8.8
Japan 7.1
Indonesia 5.7
Mexico 4.4
Egypt 3.4
Brazil 3.3
Italy 3.1
Source: International Diabetes Federation
Most disturbing, said those attending the federation's 17th triennial congress, is that more than half of diabetes sufferers are between the ages of 20 and 59. Previously, diabetes affected primarily the elderly.
What's behind the change? Urbanization -- especially in developing countries, said the authors of "Diabetes Atlas 2000", published by the federation and billed as the world's first diabetes atlas.
The atlas includes up-to-date data on diabetes in 130 countries in Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. It's written in three languages -- English, French and Spanish -- and is sponsored by a grant from drug maker Glaxo Wellcome.
The atlas' authors tracked the epidemiology of worldwide diabetes, analyzing such things as demographic statistics and socioeconomic indicators.
"Studies in the Western Pacific and (among) the Amerindians show a close association of type 2 diabetes with improved resources and Westernization of lifestyles," said the foundation's Alberti, also the president of the Royal College of Physicians in London.
Diabetes is the fourth or fifth leading cause of death in most developed countries. Type 2 diabetes, the most common kind, affects about 15 million people in the United States. If untreated, it can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and amputations.
The diabetes federation vows to serve as a global advocate for people with diabetes and their health care providers.
http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/11/06/diabetes.atlas/index.html
Campaign aims to detect problems in leg arteries
September 21, 2000
By Helyn Trickey
CNN.com Interactivity Editor
ATLANTA (CNN) -- Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) affects more than 8 million people nationwide, and nearly 3 million of those have no early warning symptoms. In an effort to boost awareness of this potentially fatal disease, the Society of Cardiovascular & Interventional Radiology (SCVIR) is offering free screenings nationwide for at-risk patients through September 23.
The screening program, dubbed "Legs for Life 2000," aims to take thousands of patients through an easy 10-minute exam that includes a consultation with a physician and, if necessary, a referral to a primary care doctor for follow-up care.
PVD, a disease common in people age 50 and older, is caused by blocked blood flow to the arteries in the legs. The blockage is largely caused by arteriosclerosis, or a hardening and thickening of artery walls. Patients may have difficulty walking due to pain and swelling in the lower extremities, and some may experience numbness and skin discoloration.
In its final stages, PVD sufferers may experience non-healing wounds that can lead to limb amputation.
More information:For more information about PVD and registering for a free screening near you call 1-800-357-2847 or go to www.legsforlife.org
Risk factors for PVD
What are the risk factors for PVD?
Source: Society of Cardiovascular & Interventional Radiology
"The irony here is that most people do not fear it," says Dr. Steve Citron, an Interventional Radiologist in Atlanta, Georgia. "It is a cause for concern. Of those people with PVD only 10 percent ever receive treatment," he says.
Those most at risk include diabetics, people who smoke, people who lead sedentary lifestyles and those who suffer from high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol levels.
Citron advises anyone at risk for PVD to stop smoking immediately. "Smoking elevates the risk of PVD by five times over non-smokers," he says.
Taking the fear out of screeningElliot Galloway, 79, of Atlanta worried he might have PVD after he started experiencing lower leg pain while resting.
After filling out a questionnaire detailing his risk factors at a free screening in Atlanta, he completed a 10-minute exam where his blood pressure was taken in both his legs and arms and then compared.
Because Galloway is a runner who logs nearly an hour per day on the road, he has few, if any, of the risk factors associated with the disease. Citron reviewed his test results and was relieved to hear from Galloway that the aching he complains of is presentonly when the athlete is at rest.
Pain during exercise may be an indicator that a blocked artery is being overtaxed, Citron says. Luckily, Galloway's blood pressure tests show his leg blood pressure is higher than his arm blood pressure and Citron determines he is not at risk for PVD.
"Smoking elevates the risk of PVD by five times over non-smokers," -- Dr. Steve Citron
"It feels great to know everything is OK," says the sprightly Galloway. "I am going to go out and run right now."
If detected early, most patients can make significant health improvements with dietary changes and repetitive exercises where the legs are used.
"Many choose to walk," says Citron. "I advise people to walk until you feel a little pain in your legs and then walk just a little bit further." By testing exercise limits and setting little goals, Citron says more progress will be made quickly.
If exercise and dietary changes are not enough to change the course of PVD, several other treatment options including "clot-busting" medications and angioplasty are available.
"The less invasive the treatment, the better for the patient," says Citron.
More and more, Interventional Radiologists like Citron treat PVD patients because of their ability to use minimally invasive procedures.
"It is like doing surgery from the inside," he says. Using small tubes and catheters along with imagery like ultrasound and CAT scans, physicians can now treat PVD on an outpatient basis, an especially important consideration for the older patient.
Doctors warn of paint gun hazard
November 28, 2000CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -
Using one's finger to clean the clogged nozzle of a spray paint gun can cause a serious infection that might lead to amputation of the finger, according to a report released Monday.
A researcher at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said the high-pressure spray can inject paint into the finger once the nozzle is cleared, a problem that requires immediate surgical attention.
"We've seen quite a number of people coming into the emergency room with this type of injury," said Thomas Learch, an assistant professor of radiology at the school.
"Do-it-yourselfers and college kids painting houses for summer jobs, for instance, often are not well informed about the safe use of these devices and probably are most prone to these injuries. Warning instructions on machinery are often unclear and in English only," he said.
The report was released at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
U.N. General Assembly raps Iran on rights abuses
December 4, 2000
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- Rebuking Iran on a series of human rights abuses, the U.N. General Assembly narrowly adopted a resolution on Monday calling on Tehran to end torture, particularly amputations.
The vote was 67 in favor, 54 against with 46 abstentions on the resolution that chastised Iran for executions, a crackdown on freedom of speech and press, and discrimination against religious minorities, such as the Bahais. Last year the Assembly voted 61-47-51 on a similar measure.
The resolution called on the Iranian government "to take all necessary steps to end the use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, in particular the practice of amputation."
It expressed concern about "the deterioration of the situation with regard to freedom of opinion and expression, in particular at restrictions on the freedom of the press."
The resolution also criticized the judiciary for suspending newspapers and arresting journalists, political activists and intellectuals in the interests of national security, which the General Assembly called "a pretext to deny or restrict freedom of expression, opinion and thought."
The non-binding resolution, however, welcomed recent improvements in Iran since the election of moderate President Mohammad Khatami, including the "broad participation" in parliamentary elections earlier this year.
But the measure expressed concern at the suspension of several newspapers, arrests of journalists, cases of torture and discrimination against religious minorities.
Primitive forms of torture
The document was based on a report from Canadian jurist Maurice Copithorne on developments in the first six months of this year. He found executions continued at a high rate.
"That torture continues in the Islamic Republic of Iran -- and in its most primitive form -- was confirmed in the period under review," said Copithorne, who has not been allow into Iran since 1996.
"Eleven executions were held in public. In three other cases, individuals sentenced to death were pardoned from execution by the family of the victim at the execution site," Copithorne said in the report.
Stoning, which he called a "barbaric punishment," appeared to be on the decline however, he said.
Copithorne said that Iran's powerful Guardian Council, set up to ensure that legislation forms with Islam, represented a "major obstacle: to the advancement of Iranian democracy.
The closing down of the reformist press had been perhaps the biggest story in Iran itself, as well "the most evident mass suppression of a human right," he said.
At the time of the preparation of the report, about 22 newspapers and journals had been closed and an equal number of publishers and writers had been convicted, jailed or fined or served with a summons by one of the various tribunals which were exercising jurisdiction over the press.
Hope for Sierra Leone amputees
An operation created to help maimed soldiers during the first world war is now transforming the lives of Sierra Leone war victims.
The Kukenberg procedure was originally performed on soldiers who had lost both their hands, for example in landmine explosions. Often they were also left blind by the explosion - but were sometimes able to read Braille after the operation.
The rarity of double amputations, and the increasing talents of surgeons in preserving badly damaged hands, meant that it has been infrequently used since. In addition, the emergence of sophisticated artificial prosthetic hands means that such radical surgery was less favoured.
However, the high number of patients during the Sierra Leone conflict who have had both hands hacked off means that Red Cross surgeons have revived the operation.
There are not sufficient resources to perform highly sophisticated surgery in Sierra Leone, or to provide modern prostheses.
The Kukenberg procedure involves separating the two bones within the remaining forearm of the patients to create a pincer-like grasp which the patient can be trained to open and close. Patients also usually recover some sensation at the tips of the pincers.
They reported in the Lancet operations on 11 such patients - eight men and three women, with an average age of 42.
Three months later, all 10 patients followed up could eat and drink by themselves, and pass a simple dressing test.
It was considered that three quarters of patients had recovered some dexterity as a result of the operations.
Swiss surgeon Francois Irmay, working on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sierra Leone, said: "When patients realise that they are again able to eat and drink by themselves to dress more or less without help, to do a simple manual activity, they recover their dignity and even small results are encouraging."
Sierra Leone amputees join protest against 'blood diamonds'
October 7, 2000
NEW YORK (AP) -- Nine-year-old Fatu Koroma lost her right hand and both her parents to Sierra Leone's brutal civil war.
On Saturday, she stood half a world away, in front of one of Manhattan's most expensive jewelry shops, where wealthy New Yorkers spend thousands of dollars on diamond rings and necklaces.
Human rights advocates say a bloody link connects the two places.
Diamonds mined by rebels in Sierra Leone and other war-torn African countries and sold in the United States help fund the fighting that cost Fatu her hand and her family, they charge.
Rebels entered the little girl's home in the town of Mamafunton in January 1999. When she asked to go to the bathroom, they thought she might try to escape, so they grabbed her and cut off her hand and part of her forearm, she said quietly.
The guerrillas killed her parents in her presence. Now she lives with her grandmother and has no idea what's become of her two brothers and two sisters.
Human rights groups say rebels in Sierra Leone and Angola would be unable to continue vicious fighting against their governments _ and a campaign of atrocities against civilians -- without proceeds from the gems many call "blood diamonds."
"The diamonds are used to buy guns and drugs," said Rep. Tony Hall, an Ohio Democrat who helped lead about 30 protesters, including Fatu and a half dozen other Sierra Leonean amputees, through midtown Manhattan to Cartier jewelers Saturday. "They go to fuel wars and to kill people and to maim these kids."
The jewels also fund fighting in the Congo. Liberia, Burkina Faso and Togo have been accused of helping funnel the diamonds to the outside world.
Estimates on the rebels' share of the dlrs 6 billion-a-year diamond trade range from 4 percent to 15 percent.
The World Diamond Council, based in New York, said Saturday that it is making progress toward ending the trade of so-called "conflict diamonds," which it said constitute "a tiny percentage of the world trade."
"Producers, processors, retailers and all others involved in our industry are committed and moving swiftly to achieve their complete elimination," Eli Izhakoff, the group's chairman, said in a statement.
Cartier said it was doing everything it could to ensure that the diamonds it sells do not come from violence-ridden areas.
The company's suppliers "assure us that they do not procure their stones from any markets or sources that support, on any level, these human rights injustices," its statement said.
In July, in Antwerp, Belgium, the international diamond industry adopted new measures to stop rebel groups from trading diamonds from conflict-plagued areas.
Responding to increasing pressure from governments and human rights groups, the World Diamond Congress approved a package of measures to track diamonds from the mine to the jewelry store. The industry promised severe penalties for dealers who break the rules.
Hall said the new measures are just talk. He has proposed a law requiring that diamonds sold in the U.S. come with a certificate stating their country of origin so consumers can make an informed choice.
"Americans actually have been playing a part innocently in this by buying diamonds," he said. "They need to stop while they're making this very major purchase and ask 'Where did these diamonds come from?"
"We need to have certificates of origin so when you go into a store, you can say, the carat, the color, and you ought to know what the country of origin is," he said.
The diamond industry says "unilateral action" by the United States could damage the diamond trade in stable, democratic African countries.
Fancy footwork from Ancient Egyptians
The discovery of a false toe attached to the foot of a mummy provides more evidence of the sophistication of ancient Egyptian medicine.
The well-crafted wooden toe was discovered by a team investigating remains found in a burial chamber believed to be in the ancient city of Thebes.
Pottery fragments found in the chamber dated the find at approximately the 21st or 22nd Egyptian dynasty, or between 1065BC and 740BC.
Researchers found that the embalmed woman, aged between 50 and 55 at death, had lost the big toe on the right foot - probably by amputation. She clearly lost it during life as soft tissue and skin had regrown over the wound.
A wooden prosthetic toe - perfectly shaped to match the lost toe, even to the point of having a nail - had been created and attached to the foot with textile laces.
The regrowth of tissue, allied with definite scuff marks on the base of the wooden toe, seem to indicate a functional role rather than simply an effort by embalmers to make the body appear complete in readiness for the afterlife.
The investigation is reported in the medical journal The Lancet.
Diabetes clue
Examination of the rest of the body suggests the individual may have suffered from diabetic complications.
The woman had experienced significant hardening of the arteries, not just the large arteries but also the tiny vessels supplying the extremities.
Although they cannot prove this, the researchers believe the toe may have had to be amputated after the blood supply was cut and gangrene set in.
Dr John Taylor, assistant keeper of Egyptian antiquities at The British Museum in London, said that while this was not the only example of a prosthetic toe dating from ancient Egypt, it was one of the most revealing.
He told BBC News Online: "There isn't any written evidence of them doing this kind of thing, or any visual evidence in paintings or drawings.
"But we know from a number of mummies that they did do this. This one is especially interesting."
He added: "There is some other evidence that operations - perhaps some trepanning [drilling holes in the skull] - took place, either before or after death.
"But much of Egyptian medicine was by the use of potions, or ointments, often accompanied by the right incantation or ritual."
Turkish soldier loses leg in bomb blast
November 14, 2000
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) -- A Turkish soldier lost a leg on Tuesday in a bomb blast in the southeast of the country, local officials said.
The sergeant-major was heavily injured by the blast that went off as he was getting into his car outside a gendarmerie building in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, a security official told Reuters.
The soldier was being treated in hospital.
Few details were available about the explosive device. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
"We are looking into possible sources of the bomb explosion," said the official, who declined to be named.
Far-left groups, Kurdish separatist guerrillas and Islamic militants have all carried out similar attacks in the past in major Turkish cities.
Clashes between security forces and Kurdish rebels in the mainly-Kurdish southeast have considerably decreased since the rebels withdrew most of their forces from Turkey on the orders of condemned guerrilla leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Turkish officials dismiss Ocalan's move as a "cynical bid" to escape the death penalty imposed on him for treason. He is now awaiting the result of his appeal to a European court.
Former UC-Davis gridiron star takes prosthetics, life in stride
By Cameron Jahn
Davis, California (U-WIRE) -- Even a stellar day's performance coupled with a victory on the football field can turn tragic. Just ask UC-Davis student and former football star Sam Paneno.
Paneno's lower right leg was amputated after a rare on-field injury during a game against Western Oregon early last season.
Remove a large piece of someone's leg and they usually harbor some hard feelings toward the doctors, the coaches and to the whims of fortune.
Paneno, however, is not the average slow-healing survivor. While it takes months, even years, to heal physical wounds and recover mentally, Paneno's spirit bounced back as quickly as his body healed.
His indomitable positive attitude, along with medical technology, have helped Paneno resume his life in a speedy manner. A little more than one year later, Paneno is back to normal and enjoying his life.
"There are things that I obviously can't do, but the things that I can't do aren't too noticeable -- it's nothing too bad," he said. "I've have a great family and a great girlfriend -- I just can't help being positive."
This light-hearted attitude extends all the way to, well, his right leg. Paneno now has three prosthetic legs that can be interchanged depending on the activity. He has a leg for everyday use, one for running and a special waterproof one for his passion, surfing. Paneno said he's also working on getting a prosthetic for rock climbing, another sport he loves dearly.
"The prosthetics can cost as much as a new car -- around $15,000," he said. "Because it happened on the field, NCAA insurance paid for it."
On Sept. 11, 1999, the UCD football team played a tough game in Montmouth, Ore., against WOU. Paneno was playing a remarkable game with 114 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
When the game went into overtime, however, Paneno's life was altered in just one play. He says he doesn't recall the tackle that seemed to be routine. The tackle yanked Paneno's knee out of its socket and UCD went on to beat WOU 40-33.
The sports medicine doctors on hand at the game worked quickly to reset his knee -- in fact, it took between two and three minutes. But the damage had been done. An injured artery blocked the oxygen and blood flow to the lower part of his knee and the tissue started to die.
Doctors were unable to save his leg despite performing numerous different surgeries. Nine days later, doctors amputated Paneno's leg below the right knee.
After his injury, Paneno took time off from school to heal. Surrounded by a supportive group of friends and his girlfriend, UCD student Aniela Winkowski, Paneno was quick to recover.
Paneno said the outpouring of emotional support that he received was an important part of his recuperation.
"The whole Davis community and UC Davis is a big family. Everyone here has extended their prayers and thoughts to me," he said. "Sometimes in a big city you get lost in the system, but here they've taken care of me."
In the future, Paneno said spending time with his family in Pasadena, Calif., and getting back into the surf are high on his list of priorities.
"My whole family is from Southern California and I'd like to be closer to them," he said. "It's a nice change up here (in Northern California) -- plus I miss the beach."
On a clear Saturday night at Toomey Field the UCD athletics program broke more than just the heart of the St. Mary's College football team that they beat 55-14. They retired Paneno's number 25 jersey, making him the first UCD athlete ever to have his jersey permanently memorialized.
Even though athletes like Ken O'Brien left an indelible mark on UCD football before enjoying an eight-year career in the NFL, UCD has never retired a former athlete's jersey.
Paneno said he was honored to be remembered in such a way by UCD.
"There are some things like Aggie pride you can't put into words," he said. "It was just a great day for me."
In January, Paneno attended an end-of-the-season banquet for UCD's football team to recognize this teammates' achievements. That night, Paneno said he was completely surprised by the retirement announcement.
"I was caught really off guard," he said. "But it is great to be put down in history -- it's an indescribable feeling."
Paneno said he was not too upset about being unable to play football anymore.
"I've played football for so long that it's nice to sit back on the sidelines and not have to worry about anything," he said. "It's not that hard (to be out of the game) because I got a chance to play a lot of college football."
At a press conference Saturday, Paneno seemed undaunted by the media attention and answered questions warmly and candidly.
"I'm kinda shy when it comes to public stuff," he said. "To memorialize it, this is the way to do it in front of the fans who supported me."
In addition to the fans, Paneno said he has been buoyed by his family and a web of close friends. Paneno's demeanor seems more like a person who fully recovered from an illness rather than someone who lost a part of their body.
He said his new leg has caused him no real setbacks, and he even joked with reporters that he could now outwardly support his Italian heritage with a sticker of the country's flag affixed to his prosthetic.
"The leg's not made in Italy -- I just want to represent because I'm Italian," he said while giving his leg a quick knock.
For now, Paneno is content just living his life. He is working toward a degree in psychology with a minor in philosophy, and said he hopes to graduate next fall.
With his active lifestyle still filled with sports, Paneno has been an inspiration to people who have suffered accidents similar to his own. Unlike many in his boat, he is unashamed to show his prosthetic in public. Around town, he frequently wears shorts.
After his own incident in Oregon, Paneno's close friend from LSU was in an automobile accident and also had to have his leg amputated. Paneno said he helped coach his friend through the initial feelings of shame toward the prosthetic.
He recently spoke to a junior high school in La Caqada, Calif., a city near his own hometown. According to Paneno, the experience was soothing for him as he conveyed a hopeful message.
"The principal told me she'd never seen junior high kids so quiet," he said. "It was not just a time for goofing off like when I was in junior high -- the reaction was very sincere."
Though he claims to be a shy guy, Paneno said he plans to try his hand at public speaking in the future. In fact, he said he has been contacted by law firms after expressing interest in the field.
"I've always wanted to have an impact on people's lives and speaking just comes natural to me," he said.
Paneno has not let his injury restrict him in any way.
"I actually forgot the anniversary of my amputation," he said. "It's not in the forefront of my mind any more like it used to be -- now I just cruise."
Parry: 'I'm going to play again'
Friday, November 3
Associated Press
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Neil Parry didn't shed a tear during an emotional reunion with his family, friends and teammates at San Jose State on Friday.
In fact, Parry -- the sophomore walk-on football player whose right foot and ankle were amputated two weeks ago -- had only one declaration, and he made it several times.
"I just want to let everybody know I'm going to play again," Parry said.
Parry was released from the hospital this week after nearly a month of extensive surgery, rehabilitation and rest. He will watch the Spartans' game against No. 9 Texas Christian on Saturday night from a box seat at Spartan Stadium.
"I'm going to finish what I started by coming here," Parry said. "I'm not done."
Looking healthy and upbeat while seated in a wheelchair, Parry gave thanks for the national outpouring of support he received seriously injured the leg during an Oct. 14 game against UTEP. He was joined by his parents, coach Dave Baldwin and his brother Josh, the Spartans' team captain and top linebacker.
"The biggest victory we've ever had in San Jose State football is to see him sitting over there looking so good," Baldwin said.
The injury severely damaged nerves and arteries in his leg, and surgery to repair the damage resulted in an infection that necessitated the amputation.
Parry said he didn't feel any pain when the injury occurred. He had planted his right foot in the turf while turning to chase UTEP's kickoff returner, and a blocked teammate awkwardly tumbled into him.
"It didn't even start to hurt until I got in the ambulance," Parry said.
Parry's father, Nick, said he and his son don't plan to watch replays of the injury. They're more interested in moving forward with Neil's eventual return to a normal life -- and perhaps even football.
"It's tough when your child looks up at you for an answer, and you don't have an answer," said Nick Parry, who went onto the field when the injury occurred. "(Days later), I was the one who told him the leg was going to come off, and after a minute of silence, he said, 'Dad, you've got to roll with the punches.'
"We're going to get back one way or another. We're probably going to break many prostheses in the process, but we'll do it."
As for Neil Parry's possible return to football, team physician Martin Trieb said advances in prosthetic devices during the last 15 years have made nearly anything possible -- though he's not aware of anyone returning to compete in such an advanced sport as major-college football.
"In the past, we'd have never thought someone could play a twisting, turning sport," Trieb said. "But he's young. He has the strength, the agility. With the technology that's out there, I have no doubt he'll have the chance to reach his goal."
Parry, a Sonora native who played quarterback in high school but walked on at San Jose State as a safety, said everyone from 49ers coa ch Steve Mariucci to members of his old Pop Warner football team have visited and called to offer encouragement.
He also received letters and calls from dozens of amputee patients, including a 14-year-old boy who plays football and baseball.
"They just told me that nothing is impossible, and that this doesn't have to limit anything I do," Parry said. "Even if I can only hold the ball for the kicker, that's what I'll do."
Parry said he holds no grudge toward the sport or the school, and that he'll be cheering Josh -- the Western Athletic Conference's leading tackler and Neil's roommate -- and his teammates on Saturday.
"I feel like he's still there with me," Josh Parry said. "I see him running off the field someday. I know he'll do it."
Related Site http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/2000/1030/848038.html
Amputation necessary after infection developed
Tuesday, November 14, 2000 Associated Press
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A sophomore on the San Jose State football team had the foot and ankle of his right leg amputated Monday, nine days after he suffered a compound fracture during a game.
Neil Parry, 20, was injured on a kickoff return in San Jose State's Oct. 14 game against UTEP when a teammate awkwardly rolled over his right leg. Despite several attempts to save Parry's leg, an infection developed. San Jose State's team physician announced Sunday that an amputation was necessary.
"The attending physicians were successful in halting the spread of the severe bacterial infection in Neil's right leg," team physician Martin Trieb said Monday. "Controlling the infection permitted the surgical team to preserve his right knee and the majority of his leg."
Parry, from Sonora, underwent surgery Monday morning at Stanford Medical Center. It was the latest in a series of procedures at the hospital, and Trieb said Parry will remain hospitalized there indefinitely for further care.
Parry is the younger brother of Spartans linebacker and team captain Josh Parry, the Western Athletic Conference's leading tackler. Josh Parry didn't travel to Reno, Nev., with his teammates on Friday night, but he arrived in time for Saturday's game and had 17 tackles in the Spartans' win over Nevada.
Neil Parry's injury severely damaged a major artery and a nerve in the bottom of his foot, and swelling threatened to damage the remaining artery carrying blood to his feet.
He underwent major surgery a week ago in an attempt to restore circulation to the foot, but a significant infection apparently developed during the procedure.
"The infection could not be controlled, and tissue destruction by the bacteria was so extensive and rapidly progressing that an amputation of the affected area became necessary," Trieb said.
Parry was a part-time special teams player for the Spartans in 1999 and this season.
"(Parry) is friends with everyone on this football team and has countless other friends at San Jose State and at home in Sonora," Spartans coach Dave Baldwin said. "His teammates have prayed for him every day after practice. They want to see Neil back with them as soon as possible."
A fund has been established to defray family expenses resulting from Parry's hospitalization, thanks to what school officials termed an "overwhelming" public response to his injury.
Parry is the second Northern California college football player in the last two seasons to have part of a leg amputated. UC-Davis running back Sam Paneno had the lower part of his right leg amputated in 1999 after he ruptured an artery and dislocated a knee during a game.
The Chopped-Off Hands of Star Wars
www.members.tripod.com/~Adam_P_B/starwarshands/
Thirty-year-olds living in their parents' basements the world over have littered cyberspace with thousands of Star Wars sites. Save Chewbacca from his officially licensed, novelized death? Been there. Create your own Boba Fett armor? Done that. But have you ever wondered what happened to Darth Vader's chopped-off hand?
Well, neither have we. But Adam Bertocci has, and he wants you to know. In painstaking detail, Bertocci plasters his site with images of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker grimacing over freshly severed limbs. For added effect, he digitally enhances the stumps with gore. Not only are each movie's amputations described in full detail but the fate of each appendage is disclosed.
So, what about the conspicuously amputation-free Episode I, you ask? Bertocci offers a fictionalized account of Jar Jar Binks' hand-lopping. We're with you on that one, Adam.
Copyright 2001 GB Communications
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