Luis Fernando Rois-Gonzale's Story
I was born in Colombia and moved to Australia 15 years ago and I have been a left above-the-knee amputee for nearly four years. I work as a primary school teacher in Melbourne, and outside of work, I enjoy training at the gym and indoor climbing. I rely on my prosthesis for mobility every day. It is important for me to be active and to be able to move around easily and confidently to maintain my physical and mental health and manage the children in my care at school.
The first prosthesis I received was a Paso Knee. This knee has proved to be a good option for me, and I continue to use this set-up when training at the gym. I love that it is lightweight, quick-moving, easy to use, and safe for interval training at the gym and on the exercise bike. I wear another microprocessor knee, however, I have been looking for an alternative that will provide better support when walking my two large powerful dogs (greyhounds) in my area which contains a lot of hills.
Trialing the Rheo Knee XC at Mobility Clinic
I attended Össur’s 2022 Mobility Clinic in Sydney and was lucky enough to trial the Rheo Knee XC and received expert training from renowned amputee physio Cathy Howells. I was immediately surprised at how easy, smooth, and natural the Rheo Knee XC felt to walk on. I found it very intuitive and comfortable, it anticipated what I was going to do and supported me with everything I did. Compared to my other microprocessor knee, the Rheo Knee XC felt much safer and more natural, it enabled me to concentrate on other things such as looking up ahead or talking with someone, not having to worry about my next step. I felt confident to navigate different terrains when walking on the ground and for the first time, I felt free to do whatever I wanted. A highlight for me was descending stairs step-over-step for the first time since my amputation! I can see so many benefits that the Rheo Knee XC could offer me in my daily activities. I need a knee that is going to be supportive, keep up with my lifestyle, and that will provide me with confidence. After trialling the Rheo Knee XC, I know that it will do all of that!
