ORI2300 Lower Limb and Spinal Orthotics Course description

This course is based on the clinical work processes covered in ORI1000, ORI1300 and ORI2200 and is the third of four courses iadressing clinical and technical competence in the field of prostethics and orthotics. Knowledge from the courses anatomy, pathology and biomechanics is also used. The course primarily focuses on ankle foot orthoses (AFO) and knee ankle foot orthoses (KAFO), but also covers knee hip orthoses, spinal orthoses, brace treatment for scoliosis and individually adapted seating products, and wheelchairs as part of rehabilitation for all relevant diagnosis groups.

The students participate in the interprofessional teaching programme INTER 1200 ‘Communication with Children, Young people and their Families’ (1.5 credits). INTER1200 focuses on communication and interaction with children, young people and their families, and on how interprofessional work needs to be coordinated to strengthen the provision of services to the individual child. As in INTER1100, the students receive training in cooperating with students from other programmes of professional study on topics relating to the everyday lives of children and young people.

The student must have passed the first year of the programme or equivalent, with the exception of the course ORI1050.

After completing the course and INTER1200, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence (INTER1200 addresses the learning outcomes marked with an asterisk (*)):

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge about the importance of appreciative communication with children, adolescents and their parents/guardians*
• can explain children and young people’s right to participation in decisions that concern them*
• can explain the importance of explorative approaches in cooperation with children and young people*
• can elaborate on the relationship between the anatomy, pathology, biomechanics and function of the lower limbs
• has knowledge of material technology and advanced use of composite materials, including joining different materials used in orthosis design
• can outline his/her knowledge of orthoses for children
• can explain functional and potential psychosocial consequences of disabilities
• can explain the structure of rehabilitation/habilitation services and the creation of individual plans

Skills

The student

• can carry out a conversation about everyday life with children and adolescents*
• can have appreciative communication with parents/guardians*
• can, with some supervision, prepare and reflect on orthopaedic follow-up plans for users in need of lower limb or spinal orthoses
• can carry out clinical functional analysis and relevant procedures for taking measurements, designing and customize lower limb and spinal orthoses
• can make critical assessments of biomechanical factors with a focus on ankle, knee and hip disabilities and link this to gait and orthosis design
• can assess biomechanical factors of importance to spinal orthoses and special seating
• can assess and propose measures relating to positioning in wheelchairs to prevent and treat pressure sores
• can use research articles and specialist literature to analyse topics relating to lower limb and spinal orthoses
• can prepare work descriptions and carry out technical processes applied in the production of lower limb and spinal orthoses

General competence

The student

• can reflect on their own role in explorative conversations with children, young people and their parent/guardians*
• can understand the importance of interprofessional cooperation with children, young people and their parents/guardians*
• can reflect on challenges associated with communication and interdisciplinary cooperation in relation to users in need of treatment with lower limb orthoses, spinal orthoses and/or special seating
• can document and communicate relevant clinical and biomechanical assessments in patient records and communicate such assessments orally
• can reflect on user perspectives, planning, implementation and the effect of treatment
• can reflect on the significance of motivating conversation when interacting with users

The master's thesis is worth 30 credits, which constitutes a part-time workload over two semesters or full-time workload of about five months. The master's thesis is an independent scientific work. Students will choose and elucidate a topic from the subject areas covered by the programme through systematic use of social science methods. The research question may be linked to the student's own experiences.

To be able to start on the master's thesis, the student must have passed MSL4200 Research Methods and Theory of Science.

Individual oral exam, up to 30 minutes.

No aids permitted.

The students are encouraged to select a topic and research question early in the course of the programme and to use the options available in connection with courses and written works to prepare for the master's thesis. The topic, research question and methodological approach to the study can be presented at a seminar dedicated to work on the master's thesis early in the first semester.

Supervision

Each student will be appointed a supervisor. The students have a right to up to eight hours of individual supervision (if relevant two students together). Supervision is not normally given for more than one year after normal study progress.

When a supervisor has been appointed, the student and supervisor must review the content of and sign the supervision agreement during the first supervision hour. This regulates the relationship between supervisor and student, rights and obligations in the supervision relationship.

All answers are assessed by two examiners. An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.

The exam in the course is submission of the master's thesis and an oral exam. The master's thesis can be submitted individually or students can work and submit the thesis in pairs.

The master's thesis must have a scope of 16,000 words +/- 10 %. Font and font size: Arial / Calibri 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5. The table of contents, foreword, abstract, reference list and appendixes come in addition to this. When students work in pairs, the students must submit a written declaration on submission describing the division of work between them.

Oral exam If the master's thesis is considered passed, an oral exam is conducted. In the oral examination, the candidate(s) receive a thorough oral feedback on the master's thesis, and otherwise the oral examination consists of a professional conversation about the thesis. The length of the oral exam varies, but usually lasts 30-40 minutes.

The oral exam provides an opportunity for adjusting the grade of the master's thesis up or down one grade. The final grade will be included on the Diploma. When two students write together, they also have a joint oral presentation and oral exam. It is expected that the two students contribute equally in the oral exam.

Students are allowed to submit a new or revised master's thesis once if they are awarded a fail grade. A reworked version of the thesis must be submitted within the given deadline. The student has a right to one additional supervision session before the new submission. A student will not be allowed to submit a new master's thesis in the same programme if a pass grade has already been awarded.

If the student appeals against the grade, a new committee will be appointed and the master's thesis will be re-assessed. If the grade is changed, a new oral exam will be held.