Authors : Anoob Jose

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/yb7v8ydn

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jun916

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Abstract : The field of prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) is one of the most important paramedical professions that specializes in the rehabilitation of persons with physical disabilities by designing, creating, and fitting corrective orthotic supports and artificial limbs. India's population with disability of more than 26.8 million require the services of skilled P&O professionals, but they are in very short supply. The article traces the history of the profession of P&O in India from ancient times to institutions of the modern era, describes the key regulatory bodies, states the importance of in-patient rehabilitation with the help of a team of P&O professionals, and records the innovative interdisciplinary co-operation between the Bachelor of Prosthetics and Orthotics (BPO) programme at the National Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (NIPMR) Kerala, and the Mechanical Engineering Department at SCMS School of Engineering and Technology Kerala. This partnership, which for the first time brought engineering-based material testing and structural failure analysis to BPO students, is a model that can be replicated in enhancing P&O education with the help of cross-disciplinary partnership.

Keywords : Prosthetics and Orthotics, India, BPO Education, Mechanical Engineering, Material Testing, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, NIPMR, SCMS, Kerala.

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