Caro's KX06 & Echelon Real Life Story

Caro is Vice World Champion. At the Para Agility World Championships, she had proven her skills. Her Lucy was in top form and achieved this excellent result due to flawless course mastery and immense speed. With her dogs Lucy and Mo, Caro successfully competed in the highest agility performance class A3 in the "Small" category. For their sporting activities, rapid turns, very fast running and speed changes are particularly important. She achieves this freedom of movement with the KX06. Other activities such as Nordic walking, fitness, badminton and baseball keep them fit and nimble

Freedom of movement with Blatchford's new KX06

THE CLOCK IS TICKING. Over the seesaw, a short, powerful turn and then into the tunnel. Just a little hint and Caro Wehner's little Jack Russel Lucy knows what she has to do. Both are a well-rehearsed team and have already taken part in many agility tournaments (including World Championships). In this dog sport, the focus is on mastering an obstacle course in the shortest possible time. However, after the runner-up title in 2014, the fun-loving and open-minded woman decided to retire from competitive sports with her dog.

Caro has been an amputee for nine years now. Prior to that, the athletic woman had been tormented for ten years with a stiffened and minimally mobile leg. Cause: Infection with a hospital germ. Forty surgeries later, Caro Wehner decided enough was enough. "She came to me in the consultation with a desire to get rid of the leg, which is an unusual request for a 37-year-old woman. I took off Mrs. Wehner's left leg in the thigh area. It wasn't an easy decision," recalls Dr. Peter de Zwart, her attending physician at the time. Two weeks later, the amputation was due. "I was so longing for the day and was the happiest person in the world. It could only get better, I knew that," Caro recalls. Since then, she has not regretted her decision. On the contrary, a new life began. A short time later, the entrepreneur became aware of the prostheses from Blatchford (then Endolite).

The KX06 from the English prosthesis manufacturer was suggested to her, which immediately triggered enthusiasm during testing: "I knew at the same moment – this is my prosthesis!"
The innovative leg prosthesis has been developed for active users and especially for varied surfaces. The robust, polycentric 4-bar knee joint technology with hydraulic swing and stance phase control provides smooth operation and geometric stability in any terrain, even under high impact loads. Thanks to its water-resistant construction, the KX06 is ideal for users who need a reliable knee joint that can withstand wet, muddy or dusty surfaces.

"Precisely because this knee works so well, it gives me the freedom to do everything at the speed I want. Cycling, hiking and running the course – everything works perfectly!" reports the 46-year-old enthusiastically. "As the responsible technician, I am pleased to be able to look after a life-affirming user in Caro, who places the highest demands on fitting parts, fit and aesthetics of the prosthesis. Currently, Caro is fitted with a muscle-guided prosthetic socket, which, like the rest of her appearance, is said to be brightly colored and eye-catching. An optimal combination of comfortable yet highly active socket restoration," explains master orthopaedic technician Christoph Brandl from the Müller Orthopädietechnik medical supply store in Fürth.

With the KX06, Caro Wehner is as flexible as she had long wished for. The Echelon foot is the perfect combination, as this unique carbon foot allows physiological walking based on nature's model. Both products are waterproof and therefore ideally suited for outdoor activities in varied terrain with a total of three dogs. Her recipe for a happy life: dogs, humor and the right prosthesis.

The article was published in the magazine BARRIEREFREI.