Naples-based company aims to replace common crutch, bring 'dignity' to injured
Andrew WigdorIn 1987, the founder and CEO of Naples-based company Dynamo competed in the USA Taekwondo team trials with the hopes of putting his technique to the test in the Olympics. William Scott, however, was injured in the finals after taking a kick to the knee, booting him from the competition and dashing his dreams of making it to the international sporting event.
To make matters worse, he was dissatisfied with the mobility devices he relied heavily on after he was treated by surgeons.
"I tore two ligaments, my ACL and PCL ligaments in my right knee, back at a time when surgery wasn't very good," Scott said. "I was told I would never walk normally again, that I would always use crutches and canes for the rest of my life."
The experience of having to spend multiple years on crutches following his injury eventually planted an idea in Scott's head: There must be a better alternative.
From this idea, Dynamo — a company working to replace the common crutches, canes, walkers and wheelchairs that have been used for many years — was born.
While he has a background in engineering, Scott is no stranger to mobility issues. He has had 11 knee surgeries and has spent over 1,000 days relying on devices such as crutches and wheelchairs.
"Injuries have plagued me all my life," he said. "It wasn't until several years ago I finally figured out how to make a difference."
Bringing 'dignity' to the injured
Since the company was founded in 2016, Scott has worked with his team to design and invent a line of new mobility devices, starting with the Dynamo "SportSwings." The goal, Scott said, was to create devices that bring "dignity" to users and that are "highly functional" based on human physiology.
"All that person that is injured wants to do is continue to live their life," he said. "They still want to go to a soccer game, a grocery store, to hang out with their friends, to walk in the snow. Devices in the marketplace aren't set up for that. They are made for ease of manufacturing."
To invent a product that brings comfort and innovation, Scott said the company enlisted dozens of orthopedic surgeons who have become working partners with Dynamo.
"We have a lot of insight about what works, what doesn't work ... and what is the correct physiology looking forward," he said. "This little Naples company makes the best ambulation devices in the world, hands down."
Dynamo's flagship product, the SportSwing, is meant to replace the common crutch and provide increased stability and mobility. The company has its own versions of canes, walking sticks and forearm crutches, and Dynamo walkers and wheelchairs are in the works.
One of the more unique features of Dynamo's mobility devices is the articulating foot, which has a surface area larger than that of a traditional crutch or cane tip. The feet also come with tread on the bottom to increase traction on various terrains.
"We designed a foot that behaves just like a human foot," Scott said.
Another notable Dynamo product is the "SwingLink," which is a strap that connects the swings on the back side. It is meant to prevent falls and stabilize the mobility devices.
The link "100% prevents forward slip-outs," Scott said. "That is the No. 1 cause of falls with crutches, crutches slipping forward and falling. We've eliminated that with this device."
Dynamo's devices are sold online and through Durable Medical Equipment suppliers that supply hospitals and doctor's offices. The process of selling the products in retail stores is currently in the works. Dynamo declined to divulge revenue figures to the Naples Daily News.
In the Know:Fewer homes on the market, lower median prices while East Naples sizzles in sales
The company has struck up partnerships with Lee Health and Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida to provide the mobility devices to patients. Dynamo devices have also been donated to Lee County Schools for their sports teams to use, and the company is a provider of mobility devices to colleges such as the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.
For their line of products, the company has applied for eight patents and has received two: a patent for the articulating foot and frame of the mobility devices and a patent for the SwingLink.
Falls, injuries from common mobility devices 'a huge problem'
A 2004 study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine referred to medical device-associated adverse events as an "under-recognized public health problem." The study examined over 450,000 emergency department visits for adverse events associated with a medical device over the course of a year. Lacerations, fractures or contusions from a fall while using walkers, crutches and canes made up 69,044, or 15%, of these cases.
"Anytime you're not walking on your own two feet, there's a risk," Scott said. "What we want to do is mitigate that risk."
Matthew Langenderfer, an orthopedic surgeon with OrthoCincy, has been involved in the design of the Dynamo products for 2½ years.
Langenderfer said that most medical professionals agree the design of common crutches is not up to date with the needs of patients and can lead to injuries.
He stated there is evidence that Egyptian pharaohs from thousands of years ago used crutches with an extremely similar design to that of modern-day devices.
"There has not been a significant improvement other than they went from wood to aluminum, they put some rubber padding under the arm ... and a rubber tip on the end of it that touches the ground," he said.
The common crutch takes quite a bit of balance to use as intended due to the tip's small surface area, Langenderfer noted.
"If that was a good idea, our feet would look like that," he said. "That small surface area very easily slides. Falls while on crutches are a huge problem."
The second issue, Langenderfer said, is that the top of a traditional crutch is designed to be about a hand's-breadth below the armpit, so all the rotation stability is in the wrists. This can cause the wrist to bend in uncomfortable ways and lead to injuries from the pressure.
Dynamo swings are designed to match the curvature of the human underarm with a convex surface that is larger than that of the conventional crutch. This allows the user to rest and place their weight on the SportsSwings. Langenderfer also said this allows the user to take the crutch's "rotation point" from the wrist to the underarm.
Additionally, he said the hand grip on Dynamo swings are designed for the push-down motions one makes when walking with crutches. He said that conventional crutches are designed for pulling motions, which is counter-intuitive to mobility.
"You could have someone on the Swings who could literally run and they're stable because of the strap on the back and the other features," Langenderfer said.
The first person who used the swings in the United States was Langenderfer's 16-year-old son who was recovering from an ACL injury.
Langenderfer said his son was going through the hallway of his high school, "keeping pace with everyone else walking and going faster than some people with total stability."
"It's really a game changer," Langenderfer said. "Nothing like this has been done."
In the Know:A look inside Inn on Fifth's $5M renovation; new developments and the hazards of Davis Blvd.
Crutches throughout history
- Stone slabs dating back thousands of years depict Egyptians using early crutches.
- Manuscripts from the Middle Ages also show illustrations of individuals relying on crutches, and Middle Age churches encouraged artists to depict saints and their miracles, leaving behind many portrayals of people with crutches.
- Crutch-users depicted in the Middle Ages can be grouped into three categories: lepers, polyomyelitis and cripples.
- There is no recorded literature regarding crutches until Ambroise Paré, a French surgeon, published a book on his works in 1579.
- The forearm crutch was first patented in 1917 by French engineer Emile Schlick.
- The first crutch with an adjustable length was introduced by A.R. Lofstrand, Jr. in 1945.
SOURCES: International Orthopaedics, Atlas of Orthoses and Assistive Devices.
Reach Andrew Wigdor at awigdor@gannett.com and on Twitter @andrew_wigdor
More:Pop-up, seasonal stores draw Halloween enthusiasts in Southwest Florida