ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Kendall Ford lost his leg just below the knee to an infection in late October. Now, Ford is the first person in the entire Rockford area to receive a 3D printed prosthetic, and with it, his mobility back.
It’s all thanks to Rockford-based Northern Prosthetics and Orthopedics, which has been in the Stateline for over 50 years. As technology as evolved, so has the company, which aims to provide patients with the most up-to-date care that areas with larger resources offer.
“Our goal is to help people in and around Rockford to have access to the best technology that’s out there in the world.,” said Northern Prosthetics and Orthopedics’ Vikram Choudhary. “It should be as easily accessible as somebody in Germany, somebody in Chicago or somebody in New York has.”
Choudhary says using the 3D printing technology speeds up the recovery process, making it possible to get amputees their prosthetics just hours after their first visit.
Currently, the company prints its prosthetics at their other location in Justice, Illinois. However, another printer will be in Rockford’s location by next month.