How One Prosthetist Solved a Pro Athlete’s Biggest On-Field Challenge
Reading Time: 4 minutes
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Summary:
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HSS prosthetist Chrysta Irolla builds custom hand prosthetic for WPBL player Britt Apgar after in-game injury
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Design uses gel liner plus hook extension to redistribute bat impact away from exposed residual limb tissue
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Forearm-base attachment lets Apgar feel bat impact and swing two-handed for the first time
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Apgar hits first career hit in WPBL debut wearing the new prosthetic
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Britt Apgar’s debut at-bat in the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) was the first time she ever swung a bat with both hands. She hit the ball hard, securing her first career hit—a moment made possible by a prosthetic designed to address a problem that could have sidelined her midseason.
Apgar’s limb difference is congenital: her right arm is shortened past the elbow, ending with a partial palm and no fingers. As a child, she underwent about a dozen surgeries, including bone grafts from her leg to lengthen her arm and toe-bone reconstruction to create digits on what she calls her “nub.”
The problem: a swing that was working against her
For most of her life, Apgar played by resting the bat against the tip of her residual limb. This method worked for a while, until it didn’t. During a practice game against a veteran pitcher from the U.S. Women’s National Team this spring, a well-placed slider broke the tip of her limb, exposing bone. She couldn’t feel the injury, which worried her even more, especially with the WPBL’s first season running three games a week. She feared one poor at-bat would cost her the season she had waited years to join.
She spent a month troubleshooting on her own, experimenting with old prosthetics, tweaking her mechanics, and searching for a way to attach the bat securely. When nothing worked, she put out a video on social media. A WPBL investor saw the post and connected Apgar with someone who could help: Chrysta Irolla, MS, MSPO, CPO. Irolla also heads the Prosthetics and Orthotics department at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
The fix: a prosthetic built around swing mechanics
Irolla’s design targeted the actual failure point—impact was focused on the most vulnerable part of Apgar’s limb—rather than just covering it. The device combines a cushioned gel liner with a curved hook that wraps around the bat handle, spreading the impact across a wider surface rather than concentrating it on exposed tissue. When attached at the base of her forearm instead of only the residual limb’s tip, it also allows her to feel the bat’s impact travel up her arm, a sensation she hadn’t experienced when batting one-handed.
The change was immediate. Previously, she had to deliberately control the bat’s position to prevent re-injury. But with the new prosthetic, Apgar told MLB that by the time she stepped in for that at-bat, her usual pre-game nerves were gone and she made solid contact.
The right prosthetic leads to powerful representation
Apgar emphasizes that she wants her visibility in the WPBL to have a lasting impact beyond her own season. In an MLB interview, she said she hopes that kids with limb differences and their parents see her story and realize that having a limb difference doesn’t limit what they can achieve.
Related reading:
What You Need to Know About Prosthetics as a New Amputee
This Curler Uses a Prosthetic Arm on the Ice
Fueled by Support, Amputees Take Their Shot at the Game
15-Year-Old Represents Team USA at International Amputee Soccer Tournament
