The Orthopedic technician is the health worker who, through medical prescription and subsequent testing, operates the construction and / or adaptation of the application and supply of prostheses, orthoses and replacement aids both functional and aesthetic as well as mechanical type by direct detection on the patient of measures and models.

He deals with numerous tasks, including:

Train the disabled person to use the prostheses and applied orthoses, collaborating with the doctor who prescribed the prosthesis;

In collaboration with the doctor, he performs technical assistance for the supply, replacement and repair of prostheses and applied orthoses;

Collaborate with other professionals for the multidisciplinary treatment envisaged in the rehabilitation plan of the applied prosthesis;

It makes use of the advice of the specialist physician to decide which type of protection is necessary for the patient and to provide for the design and manufacture of the same;

Usually, the orthopedic technician carries out his profession both as a freelancer, in his own private practice and, perhaps in collaboration with another specialist doctor. Alternatively, he can also work as an employee in a public or private hospital.

To perform the profession of orthopedic technician, it is necessary that the candidate undertakes a university career, enrolling in a degree course in Orthopedic Techniques, degree that falls within the class of degrees in technical health professions and activated by some Faculties of Medicine and Surgery throughout Italy. The course has a legal duration of three years and the course is a scheduled course for which it is necessary to take an entrance exam. At the end of the three-year degree, the title also has the status of a state exam and is qualified for the profession. Regarding the requirements and skills, it is necessary that the future orthopedic technician has an adequate preparation in the basic disciplines and must possess a technical mentality, precision and good dexterity in such a way that the devices realized are functional and able to guarantee a good quality of life for patients. Regarding the technical skills, the orthopedic technician must:

Identify, prevent and address critical events related to risks of various kinds;

Know the referring regulations as well as the laws of the State governing the technical profession, laboratory activities, medical-surgical devices and public health;

Evaluating the reliability of the pre-analytical and analytical and production processes;

Contribute to planning and organization, including cost analysis and the introduction of new materials and technologies, diagnostic and production activities;

Identify and prevent factors that may affect the quality of diagnostic information or the production process;

Verify the correct functioning and the efficiency of the machines through functional tests, calibration and preventive maintenance, as well as extraordinary in case of breakdowns;

Plan, implement and evaluate the technical activities related to the design, construction and installation of orthopedic devices according to predefined standards

To know, to design and build orthopedic aids and to plan and to make the preparations of the materials and mixtures of the compounds in such a way as to obtain a product of the highest aesthetic and functional quality according to Italian and European predefined standards;

Plan, implement and evaluate production activities in the areas of competence according to the standards set by the head of the structure as well as those in Europe and Italy;

Realize and verify the Quality Control and Quality Assurance for the materials used and the patient, identifying the appropriate interventions in case of non-acceptability of the results by which they are entrusted;

Acting consistently with the disciplinary, ethical and deontological principles of the profession in the technical-productive situations envisaged in the training project.

Recognize and respect the role and the competences of the other operators, establishing collaborative relationships.

Interacting and collaborating actively with an interprofessional team in order to plan and manage decentralized production activities.

Demonstrate skills in the management of information and computer systems, in communication with professional operators, suppliers and service users.

As far as the knowledge necessary for the development of this profession is concerned, it is first of all necessary for the candidate to know the principles of economic analysis, the basic notions of public and business economics, to know the essential elements of human resource management and to have a in-depth knowledge both spoken and written in at least one language of the European Union, especially the English language as well as the Italian language in order to work with a foreign team or professional as well as being able to help in the most complete possible way possible patients. Skill fundamental is also the in-depth knowledge of computer skills that are useful for the management of computer systems and software useful to make the most of their work.