Nanuet Businesses Fits Double Amputee Veteran for New Knee

John Pugioti, a double amputee who was injured while serving in the U.S. Navy, said you would never know that he doesn’t have legs when you see him walking.

“I walk very well,” said Pugioti, a resident of Blooming Grove. “If you saw me walking, then in a wheelchair a few minutes later, you would really bug out!”

This is in part to the work of Care Crafters Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. of Nanuet who have been providing the 54-year-old with prosthetics for almost 25 years. 

Pugioti, who joined the Navy in 1976, had his left leg removed above his knee and his right leg below the knee after an executive officer crashed a plane into the flight deck where Pugioti was working off the coast of Florida in 1978. He also sustained a skull fracture and broke his collarbone in the accident.

“I was pretty messed up,” said Pugioti.

Care Crafters Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc., who has worked with the U.S. Veterans Administration for more than 25 years, has helped Pugioti stay mobile and active over the years and recently outfitted him with a new top-of-the-line prosethic knee.

“It offers more possibilities and freedom for above knee amputees,” said Ted Drygas of Care Crafters Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc., in a press release. “With the Genium, walking becomes intuitive for John and minimizes the common challenge presented by wearing other prosthetic legs, i.e.: having to be overly aware of barriers and obstacles on the ground.”

OttoBock’s Genium Bionic Prosthetic System is controlled by a microprocessor- knee joint that mimics natural movement more closely than other prosthetic knees.

“The Genium gives me more freedom and the ability to do the things I want to do,” said Pugioti. “This knee along with physical therapy is allowing me to better negotiate my day to day challenges.”

Drygas said he works closely with veterans to choose clinically appropriate components to best suit their needs, and Pugioti says this extra care shows. 

“Ted is a great prosthetist,” said Pugioti. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s dedicated and devoted. I’m always happy with his work!”