As an orthotist or prosthetist, you'll assess and treat the physical and functional limitations of a wide range of people, including:
- people with limb amputations
- children born with congenital limb deficiency or cerebral palsy
- patients with muscular weakness after a stroke or spinal injury.
You'll work in a multidisciplinary team to prescribe, design and fit orthoses (external limb and spinal bracing) and prostheses (artificial limbs). These restore function or compensate for muscular and skeletal disabilities.
Qualifications
To practice as an orthotist and prosthetist in our Hospital and Health Services, you must have a university qualification in prosthetics and orthotics that is recognised by the Australian Orthotic Prosthetics Association (AOPA).
This also applies to orthotist and prosthetists who qualified overseas.