Otto Bock Genium X3
Discussion
My wife (AK) has the latest C-Leg - similar to yours but not as rugged or waterproof. She's had a C-Leg for nearly 8 years now, loves it, and it's helped her enormously. Her back and hips are not so strained and the knee copes really well with different terrain. Every 3/4 years or so we go through the rigamarole of arguing with the NHS when they threaten to withdraw her funding. Are you buying yours or being helped out?
Mine (both legs AK) are being supplied by NHS Scotland.
Good to hear the knee helps with terrain. TBH I don't find terrain and gradient too bad as they're mostly about balance. Stairs are hard without a knee (I'm on 10" pyloned 'stubbies' as a trainee) but the thing that does my head in is camber, and almost everything's cambered!! Half-a-mile of hip-hitching gets very very tiring.
Chatting to a couple of 'wounded warriors' I'm hearing that the 'posh' legs aren't used that much and that stubbies are the normal everyday wear esp. round the house. Maybe it's different for bilaterals, but I'm determined to get as close to full-time use as possible.
Anyway, thanks for the reply. All the best to your missus, especially in the battle to keep getting good equipment.
Good to hear the knee helps with terrain. TBH I don't find terrain and gradient too bad as they're mostly about balance. Stairs are hard without a knee (I'm on 10" pyloned 'stubbies' as a trainee) but the thing that does my head in is camber, and almost everything's cambered!! Half-a-mile of hip-hitching gets very very tiring.
Chatting to a couple of 'wounded warriors' I'm hearing that the 'posh' legs aren't used that much and that stubbies are the normal everyday wear esp. round the house. Maybe it's different for bilaterals, but I'm determined to get as close to full-time use as possible.
Anyway, thanks for the reply. All the best to your missus, especially in the battle to keep getting good equipment.
Yep - camber causes her problems. What she found helped enormously day-to-day was a 'loose' ankle. She's on the softest rubber bush and has it very flexible. On cobbles, odd cambers etc the ankle takes most of the strain rather than her hips.
Batteries can take a hammering if you work the leg hard, although the latest gen seems to hold charge much longer. She's not emptied it yet but come close a few times (when it starts buzzing at you). The end of the charging plug is a bit fragile too so watch out for that, she's had a couple of replacements.
Good luck with yours - hope they make life easier for you. You DAKs have my utmost respect.
Batteries can take a hammering if you work the leg hard, although the latest gen seems to hold charge much longer. She's not emptied it yet but come close a few times (when it starts buzzing at you). The end of the charging plug is a bit fragile too so watch out for that, she's had a couple of replacements.
Good luck with yours - hope they make life easier for you. You DAKs have my utmost respect.
The 'soft ankle' is a good tip. I'll mention it to my prosthetist. The stubbies have a great foot ('sidekick') but only a stiff shock absorber as an ankle, but I'm hoping having knees helps with the camber too. Actually I think the genium may have a micro processed ankle as well as knee which'll be handy. 
Well after 24 weeks on the stubbies and training legs I got my first shot in them yesterday! WOW!!
2x Genium X3s, 2 prosthetists, 2 computers, and 2 hours of calibrating and recalibrating and, well…... WOW!!! They're like walking on pillows after the stubbies.
It's super strange having "knees" again and it's right back to the parallel bars, but I'm already balancing unaided and getting up and sitting down on a chair, albeit with arms. 70 hours in the bars they reckon. Pah!! I say 7. 10 tops and I'll be out in the wild again.
God bless you NHS! I'm like a dog with 3 tails! 4 more hours of rehab/physio tomorrow. Just me n' my new posh pegs n' my wee NHS physioterrorist! She was actually in tears watching my first baby steps.
2x Genium X3s, 2 prosthetists, 2 computers, and 2 hours of calibrating and recalibrating and, well…... WOW!!! They're like walking on pillows after the stubbies.
It's super strange having "knees" again and it's right back to the parallel bars, but I'm already balancing unaided and getting up and sitting down on a chair, albeit with arms. 70 hours in the bars they reckon. Pah!! I say 7. 10 tops and I'll be out in the wild again.
God bless you NHS! I'm like a dog with 3 tails! 4 more hours of rehab/physio tomorrow. Just me n' my new posh pegs n' my wee NHS physioterrorist! She was actually in tears watching my first baby steps.
Great you're getting on ok with them, and I hear you about the socket. My missus has had hers for years and won't let em change it. She's just bust another Bock foot though 
It's supposedly designed for an active lifestyle and she goes through them at the rate of a couple a year - teaching is obviously an extreme lifestyle!
It's supposedly designed for an active lifestyle and she goes through them at the rate of a couple a year - teaching is obviously an extreme lifestyle!Not sure if your already a member but if not request access to UK Amputees on facebook, we have a really great group of helpful people.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/383675195128382/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/383675195128382/
That's a month now and today took the first steps outside the parallel bars. A bit harder than I thought, but determined to get to this guy's standard by November 13 which is my first ampuversary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwSIeus8hDw
It's an amazing world of tiny meaningless things which become huge tasks that are some buzz to achieve. We're talking about being able to stop, turn and get up from the ground here. LOL!
I'm not a member of Facebook, but that group sounds good. Peer support's an important part of rehab. Maybe the most important part.
But these Geniums really are the business. Essential to the black art of their mastery is accepting them as body parts. Guess it's the dawn of the Bionic Man. Quite an adventure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwSIeus8hDw
It's an amazing world of tiny meaningless things which become huge tasks that are some buzz to achieve. We're talking about being able to stop, turn and get up from the ground here. LOL!
I'm not a member of Facebook, but that group sounds good. Peer support's an important part of rehab. Maybe the most important part.
But these Geniums really are the business. Essential to the black art of their mastery is accepting them as body parts. Guess it's the dawn of the Bionic Man. Quite an adventure.
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