June 4, 2007

Kevin Carroll, vice president of prosthetics for Hanger Orthopedic Group, Bethesda, Md, has been chosen to join a pool of international prosthetics experts who are developing a prosthetic tail to be fitted to a dolphin injured in a crab trap near Cape Canaveral in December, 2005.

Hanger Orthopedic Group is part of a consortium assembled by Clearwater Marine Aquarium that will develop the prosthetic tail for Winter, the 18-month-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin that lost her tail fluke. After surviving the incident, Winter adapted a side-to-side swimming style that is less efficient than a dolphin’s normal swimming motion and could potentially cause damage to the dolphin, herself.

Carroll treats amputations nationwide and co-developed the Hanger ComfortFlex Socket System. He is an American Board Certified prosthetist with nearly 30 years of experience as a practicing clinician, researcher and educator. Carroll has appeared on the Discovery Channel as well as news broadcasts such as “Dateline” and “20/20.”

“I am honored to be selected by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for this unique patient case,” Carroll says. “Winter is an amazing animal with an inspirational story of overcoming adversity. Her story echoes the spirit and endurance of so many of our patients.”

“This is the one of the strongest and most experienced teams I have seen in any industry,” David Yates, CEO of Clearwater Marine Aquarium, says. “These are the most qualified people in their respective industries. They give us a real chance at success.”

The consortium consists of Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc, and will be advised by Mike Walsh, DVM, former lead veterinarian at SeaWorld; Steve McColluch, director of dolphin rresearch and conservation at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution; and Juli D. Goldstein, DVM and marine mammal specialist.

Source: Hangar Orthopedic Group