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Support for Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC) Special Forces Above the Knee Amputee Diver Trainee

Mission: The Commanding Officer of Special Forces Underwater Operations (SFUWO) School, Key West, FL called CWVC with a time-sensitive request for technical/clinical prosthetic support. Specifically, an above the knee amputee Special Forces diver trainee needed readily available prosthetic componentry and fins that would better suit his needs to meet the challenges of the course.

Mission Execution: Within five days, CWVC dispatched a 4-man Field Team of orthotic/prosthetic and combatant (an above the knee amputee) operational expertise to SFUWO. The Team provided the SF diver trainee with a long dive fin, specialized prosthetic knees and a freestyle-custom fabricated prosthetic foot. The team executed processes to ensure diver-equipment compatibility and successful transition from aquatic to land based environments.

  • Prosthetic equipment suitability testing conducted in pool.
  • Multiple adjustments accommodated diver trainee’s residual limb coupling with fin and prosthetic componentry.
  • Built and setup water durable combat effective articulating knee (3R80) suitable for infiltration maneuvers, decreasing possibility of prosthetic equipment failure.

Mission Accomplished: Custom fitted with new fin and prosthetic equipment, the diver trainee successfully completed the required 1,500 meter closed-circuit, graded navigation dive surfacing dead center on target! The diver was extremely pleased with enhanced performance enabled by custom-fitted equipment. Finished first in class of 24 diver trainees.

CWVC had direct and immediate impact on improving capabilities of amputee SF diver trainee by applying information gathered through years of research accomplished at CWVC SCUBA Challenges.

View the results of properly designed and fitted prosthetics in action: