Old prosthetic legs are given a new lease of life: Spronken is collaborating with Handicap International

22 october 2026 Prothesen

On 20 October, VRT NWS featured a new project by Handicap International. Spronken Orthopaedics plays a key role in this initiative. Together, we collect used leg prostheses. The components are reused for people in conflict zones who do not have access to a prosthesis. Tom Daniëls, technical manager at Spronken, was also interviewed in the report.

A surplus here, a shortage elsewhere

In Belgium, a prosthesis user receives a new prosthesis every three to five years on average. The stump changes, needs change and technology advances. The old prosthesis then often ends up in a cupboard or the cellar.

Elsewhere in the world, the situation is completely the opposite. According to Handicap International, an estimated 65 million people worldwide need a leg prosthesis. In conflict zones, 8 out of 10 of them have no access to one. Through the Liimba project, the NGO aims to narrow that gap.

What happens to a donated prosthesis?

Donated prostheses are sent to a workshop in Lyon. There, volunteers take them apart and clean them thoroughly. Components such as feet, knees and pylons (the tube that determines the leg length) are often still in good condition and can easily be reused. This means that a new prosthesis can be made for up to 83 per cent less.

The prosthetic socket is not reused. This is the part that fits directly onto the residual limb and must be custom-made for each patient. Innovative 3D printing is used for this purpose. The prostheses are fitted on site at Handicap International’s rehabilitation centres. These are located in countries including Yemen, Uganda and Ethiopia.

Why Spronken is taking part

“Parts from used prostheses are often still in excellent condition,” explains Tom Daniëls. Through Spronken, we contribute our orthopaedic-technical expertise and provide a collection box.

Handicap International aims to reuse half of all old prostheses in Belgium by 2028. This will enable the production of around 4,000 new prostheses.

Would you like to donate a prosthesis yourself?

Do you have a leg prosthesis at home that you no longer use? If so, you can bring it to one of the Spronken Orthopaedics branches, such as our Benelux HQ prosthesis centre – Amputee Care Centre – Transportlaan 9, Genk. There are 17 collection points across Belgium. In Limburg, you’ll find them in Diest, Tongeren and Lommel, as well as in Genk.

Read the full article in Dutch on VRT.be.
More information about leg prostheses at the Amputee Care Center.