Specialized Prosthetics

In addition to prosthetic devices that are designed primarily for daily mobility purposes or living activities, VOG/VPO also designs and fabricates a wide variety of prosthetic and other devices for specialized uses. Designed for adult or pediatric use, they can be for sport, recreational, music, daily living or work. We can design and create a device for just about any use or activity you can think of. 

Specialized Lower Extremity Prosthetics

  • Swimming

  • Water / shower

  • Skiing

  • Running

  • Cycling

  • Cosmetic use

Specialized Upper Extremity Prosthetics

  • Work - grip / welding / lifting

  • Sports- golf / basketball / hockey / skiing / cycling 

  • Fishing

  • Hang gliding / skydiving

  • Kayaking / canoeing

  • Computer / keystroke operation

  • Music – guitar / drums / violin

  • Cosmetic use

Film industry

With our extensive expertise and creative problem-solving abilities in fabricating all types of unique devices, VOG/VPO often receives requests to make specialized non-medical devices for the film industry. While functional prosthetics is our primary specialty, working with the film industry allows us to try new techniques and hone our fabricating skills. Our work has been featured in many movies, TV shows and documentaries filmed in Vancouver. In the below pictures we created a knee prosthetic leg to be worn by the actress Zhu Zhu (Marco Polo, Cloud Atlas, Last Fight) who plays an amputee in the movie Two/One 2018.

Zhu Zhu fitted with her prosthetic leg for the film “Two/One”

Zhu Zhu fitted with her prosthetic leg for the film “Two/One”

Ready for action!

Ready for action!

Some of our other creations have been featured in the following productions:

How To Kill Your Neighbors Dog – prosthetic leg for Vanessa Redgrave
BattleStar Galactica – various alien prosthetic devices
Mask of Death – artificial arm for sword fighting
Phantomscherz (Phantom Pain) – a German movie based on the real life story of one of our patients, a passionate cyclist,  who lost his leg in a hit and run accident and his emotional  and physical struggles to come to terms with it.
More information can be found at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1123970/

Into the Wind – a 2010 documentary film which chronicles the story of Terry Fox. Directed by Steve Nash, most of the prosthetic scenes were filmed at the Vancouver Orthopedic Group clinic. VOG founder Ben Speicher, Terry Fox’s prosthetist, was interviewed extensively in the film.
More information can be found at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1735870/

Tom and Steve Nash during the production of “Into the Wind”

Tom and Steve Nash during the production of “Into the Wind”