WSMV Channel 4 MTSU student climbing heights with bionic knee

MTSU student climbing heights with bionic knee

He's not quite Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man who was put back together, but MTSU student Julian Roach said he's feeling quite bionic these days.  Even though he may not be able to run 60 mph or have the strength and vision beyond human norms, he's satisfied just the same with a new bionic prosthetic knee that mimics the real thing.

"Anything with a motor I love it," said Julian Roach as he drove down Charlotte Avenue in Nashville this morning.

Roach, 21, of Hermitage said it's all about the thrill of the ride.

He can still handle his five-speed Volkswagen Jetta, clutch and all like a champ, even with a prosthetic leg.  

"I enjoy driving a manual car," Roach said.

The Middle Tennessee State University student's life got even better today when he was fitted with one of the most versatile, advanced knees to hit the market. 

The Genium Bionic Prosthetic Knee which is microprocessor control is able perform functions like bending, and adjusting to every move.

"This knee without of doubt is as close to a real leg or knee as you're going to get right now," Roach said.

Roach is able to walk with no problem.

"It's like a horse pawing through ground," Certified Prosthetist Eric Kimsey said as he demonstrated how to use the bionic knee.

The real test came when Roach came foot to foot with a flight of stairs. He mastered them in only a few tries, something he couldn't do with his old prosthesis.   

To understand why walking up steps is such a great accomplishment; you have to go back two years ago when Roach was riding his motorcycle late one night along Stewart's Ferry Pike in Nashville. One of the last things he remembered is looking back, starring into the headlight of another motorcycle.

"He rear-ended me, and as a result I lost my leg," Roach said.

The Genium Prosthetic Knee is fairly new technology, and Julian Roach happens to be the first patient in Middle Tennessee to be fitted with it.

"No prosthetic joint is going to replace your leg, the human knee, but this will allow the patient to do the most with it and give it the most natural gait. The confidence and safety and the quality of life they were missing after the amputation," Kimsey said.

The new knee for Julian Roach makes him feel better than a Six Million Dollar Man; it's his new lifeline.

"The fact that it can change and adjust to the natural environment on the fly is definitely bionic," he said.

Roach said he decided to take classes online this year because of his old prosthetic leg. He says the MTSU campus was too big and had too many obstacles to get around. But he is planning on going back once his permanent bionic knee arrives.

Superior Orthotics Prosthetics on Charlotte Avenue in Nashville is the first business to offer this cutting edge technology in Middle Tennessee.

Copyright 2011 WSMV. All rights reserved.