Penta Medical Recycling and Touro University hosted Disassembly Day

In honor of International Prosthetics and Orthotics Day, Penta Medical Recycling and the Touro University Doctor of Physical Therapy Department hosted a Limb Disassembly Day at Touro University’s New York City Campus. Penta staff along with 30 students and staff from Touro University’s School of Health Science, disassembled more than 80 donated prosthetic limbs resulting in 320 usable components. The components are paired with compatible prosthetic elements and matched to individuals in need around the world. This effort brought Penta’s yearly total of donatable components to over 3,000, putting the organization on track to surpass last year’s collection numbers.

“We are so proud of our relationship with Touro University and the partnership we have formed,” said Anna Szczepanek, Executive Director, Penta Medical Recycling. “To share the same global vision of supporting those with limb loss and hosting such a meaningful event aimed at helping those in need is so rewarding.”

“It was an honor to host Penta’s Disassembly Day at our New York City Campus,” said Yocheved Bensinger-Brody,

Assistant Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, School of Health Sciences, Touro University. “We are always looking for unique ways to further our students’ education at Touro and this provided the ideal opportunity to supplement their learning with a hands-on experience.”

On average, individuals with limb loss in the U.S. change their prosthetic limb, or at least some of the parts, every three to five years. Though most prostheses are in good enough condition to be repurposed, they are considered medical waste in the United States due to strict regulations. At the same time, tens of millions of individuals with amputations around the world live without access to prosthetic care. Since its inception in 2016, Penta has grown to help individuals with limb-loss in 29 countries, partnering with 40+ organizations and shipping over 8,000+ usable prosthetic components.

According to the World Health Organization, only 5-15% of the 65 million people with limb amputations worldwide are able to afford or access prosthetic devices. Because regulations prevent the re-use of prosthetic limbs in the United States, even when fully functional, Penta is solving the supply and demand gap by collecting limbs domestically and redistributing them overseas.

• An estimated 1.5 million people globally undergo amputations— mostly lower limb—every year.
• The majority— about 64%— of people living with amputations live in low- and middle-income countries.
• Around 2.1 million people in the United States are living with limb loss, and that number is expected to double by 2050.