Jennifer Matthews: Scott Tjaden's competed in two Para Olympics. He's also an avid hunter and loves a good game of catch.
Scott Tjaden: I do whatever I want to, whenever I want to.
Jennifer Matthews: All with just one leg. He lost the other to bone cancer when he was nine.
Scott Tjaden: The doctors had said it's a choice of losing a leg or dying is how they put it, so I ended up getting my leg amputated.
Jennifer Matthews: But it hasn't held him back, thanks to a good attitude.
Scott Tjaden: Okay.
Jennifer Matthews: And is new computerized leg. It has a microprocessor that calculates every move Scott makes, 50 times a second.
Dr. Kenton Kaufman: It's sensing the demand that is being placing on the knee and still making adjustments for that demand.
Jennifer Matthews: A computer chip sits inside the knee and controls how much the hydraulic valves open. Scott can adjust the resistance of the valves with his wireless remote. He can change his pace of walking from fast to slow and the leg will adjust to his moves.
Dr. Kenton Kaufman: With this device they can change their cadence more freely. So they can walk in a crowd and speed up or slow down based on how the crowd is moving.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctor Kaufman's research shows, patients with the computerized leg have better gait and balance compared to other prosthetic devices. Scott used to fall down daily with his old prosthetic leg.
Scott Tjaden: I've cracked my tailbone a couple of times from falling and it's never fun to fall. You kind of feel embarrassed, if you're in front of a bunch of people.
Jennifer Matthews: Now, he can walk down stairs or even outside on unsteady ground with confidence. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services