Congratulations to Dr. Andreas Kannenberg (Executive Medical Director Ottobock North America), Dr. Gerald Stark (Director of Clinical Affairs, Ottobock Patient Care North America) and their teams! During the national meeting of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) in Indianapolis, USA, they were honoured with two awards.

The prestigious Howard R. Thranhardt Award has recognised outstanding achievements in clinical O&P research since 1996. On 8 September, this award went to Dr Andreas Kannenberg and Shane Wurdeman, Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Hanger. They received the award for their joint work on an international groundbreaking study showing the advantages of the microprocessor-controlled leg orthosis C-Brace compared to conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFO). The study will be published shortly in the journal "Disability and Rehabilitation".

In addition, on 9 September, AOPA presented Dr Andreas Kannenberg and Dr Gerald Stark with the Sam E. Hamontree Business EducationAward. This award recognises outstanding lectures around the O&P business and its education such as this year's topic "Clinical Quality Improvement as a Foundational Business Strategy". As a result, Dr Kannenberg and Dr Stark are among the few recipients of both the Thranhardt and Hamontree Awards.

"Congratulations to the award winners!" says Dr Andreas Hahn, Corporate Vice President Clinical Research & Services at Ottobock. “This is not only a great personal achievement, it also presents the deserved result of many years of consistent and dedicated work by the teams involved. This shows the great quality that we are able to provide, and the leadership and direction we may be able to provide for our field.”