German Engineering Helps Ukrainian Amputees Regain Mobility
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A prosthetics company in Berlin customizes artificial limbs to meet each client’s specific needs. Vitaliy Saiko, a 42-year-old war veteran from Ukraine with double leg loss, compares this process to creating “a Lamborghini.”
Saiko is one of the first Ukrainian veterans to be fitted for new prosthetic limbs in Germany, thanks to an initiative aimed at providing better care for Ukrainian amputees. The ongoing conflict has resulted in thousands of fatalities and left many others with devastating injuries.
According to the World Health Organization, as of May 2024, over 20,000 amputations have been performed in Ukraine since the onset of the invasion in February 2022. Unfortunately, effective treatment options for such serious injuries are often lacking within Ukraine.
Janine von Woldersdorff from Life Bridge Ukraine told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in an interview that Germany possesses superior expertise in creating tailored prostheses, especially for those who underwent emergency amputations during combat. Life Bridge Ukraine is leading this initiative.
As of August 2024, the organization has brought about 40 individuals with limb loss to Germany for medical attention, along with six trainees who will return to Ukraine equipped with new skills and knowledge.
Amputations under pressure
The reason individuals like Saiko require custom-made prostheses is that amputations like his are often done under pressure, sometimes in the field. These operations frequently leave the residual limb in less-than-ideal condition for fitting a prosthesis.
Michael Koehler from Seeger explains that many of these procedures result in insufficient flesh covering the leg bones, leading to additional discomfort. Koehler says the solution is to create prostheses with soft supports inside the cup. Saiko’s new prosthetic legs were created at Seeger.
Although Saiko experiences some unusual sensations while walking, he is still satisfied with the outcome. Prior to his visit to Germany, Saiko had already undergone over 15 surgeries and months of rehabilitation following the loss of his legs in combat in 2023. Despite all this, he struggled to regain his mobility and was primarily reliant on a wheelchair.
But only three months after arriving in Berlin, Saiko feels a renewed sense of wholeness and freedom.
Training Ukrainian experts
At a Seeger’s workshop in south Berlin, Koehler has been imparting his expertise to a group of trainees from Ukraine, among them is Anastasiia Tkach, a 23-year-old physical therapist. Tkach is gaining hands-on experience in various techniques, from creating plaster casts to testing prostheses.
Although Life Bridge Ukraine will continue bringing patients to Germany as the conflict persists, it plans to gradually transfer them to a new prosthetics facility being established in Kyiv. Initially, the organization will provide essential specialist equipment and materials to begin producing high-quality prostheses.
Due to ongoing Russian missile strikes in the Ukrainian capital, the new facility will be in the basement of a hospital. This would allow the center to function even with an air raid warming.
With his new German prostheses, Saiko can easily navigate stairs, maintain balance on a board, and ride a bicycle, even if it requires considerable effort.
Upon his return to Ukraine, the former soldier said he still wanted to be useful on the front lines, albeit in a different way.
