Putting Together the Pieces On a patient's first visit, GRE staff performs a physical examination as well as an assessment of the conditions the limb will be exposed to on a daily basis. "It's always best to find out upfront all of the activities involved in their lifestyle, so that we can design the type of device the person needs," says GRE founder Jonathan Naft. GRE's design team brainstorms the best device to furnish the best solution. An orthotic or prosthetic specialist uses computer-assisted designs to create the brace or limb. The process then moves into GRE's laboratory, a high-tech Gepetto's workshop with workbenches " a box of plastic feet or shoes tucked underneath " tools hanging from pegboards and kilns. These are used to craft feet, legs, hands and arms, some with hydraulic systems for joints. Often the experts work from fiberglass molds of the patient's limbs shaped by hand or measured by a computer to create an exact negative image of the limb in plaster. Once patients are fitted, their training and rehabilitation can begin. Aided by the patient's doctors and physical therapists, GRE develops the best program for the individual. "We have the distinct advantage of not only being engineers, but we're also practitioners," Naft says. GRE matches the person with an experienced prosthetics wearer of a similar age and situation to counsel him or her. "Most amputees feel like they're very alone, and no one else has an amputation quite like theirs," Naft says. "But once they come here, we introduce them to other patients, and we assure them that when they walk down the street, their device won't fail." GRE provides support groups and holds regular social events such as cookouts that include volleyball games for the athletically inclined. The company grounds also feature a running path, grass areas for chipping and putting golf balls and a volleyball court. Sensitive to patients' appearance anxieties, GRE designs its devices with cosmetic enhancements whenever possible. For an avid outdoorsman, for instance, specialists colored his lower leg in a camouflage pattern. When a woman who had been Naft's patient for 10 years was going to get married, his team shaped a beautiful leg that would complement her wedding dress. In return, they attended the reception. "I've been doing this for a while now, so I've gotten to see patients grow up and go off to college or get married and start families, which is a lot of fun," Naft says. "Our patients keep coming back, and as their needs change, we provide them with whatever they need to help them."

The photographs of lower-limb amputees lining the front hallway of Jonathan M. Naft's offices are portraits of success, stories he's more than happy to tell.

There's the police officer who continues to protect and serve. Or the elderly homemaker who today enjoys a more comfortable life with her husband. And then there's Naft's favorite, the insatiable golfer who "kicked my butt" on the links one day, using a high-tech customized prosthetic leg to accommodate rigors of sand traps and woods and even put a little extra pop in his swing.

These people are Naft's clients, people who have gone through the trials of losing limbs. They come to his offices at Geauga Rehabilitation Engineering Inc. (GRE) for help in walking, even running, again.

"There is no best prosthesis," says Naft, who founded GRE in 1995. "What's best about it is how well it works for each individual."

At GRE, Naft and his staff of 16 practice an ancient art of designing and creating orthotics and prosthetics " braces and artificial limbs, respectively, to the layman.

The art has come a long way from the days of wooden peg legs, hooks in place of hands and clunky metal braces, which were the only options amputees and people with limb-related disabilities had for centuries. In fact, within the past decade, science has generated major advances in prosthetic devices, which now include micro-computerized components to help control movement and stability of artificial joints.

Chardon-based GRE is a pioneer in this field, being the first U.S. company to computerize leg brace systems nearly two years ago. GRE has improved the lives of more than 60 patients across the United States through these marvels of bioengineering. The company also furnishes patients with upper-body limbs. Though they are not as advanced as lower limbs because they cannot replicate the dexterity of human fingers, Naft expects improvements in the near future.

But for Naft, business is more than providing disabled people with the ability to regain a functional lifestyle. He encourages patients to achieve more than basic daily functions. In many cases, Naft motivates them to become more active than they were before they lost limbs. Once clients are able to walk unassisted with prosthetic devices, Naft encourages them to run. Once they can run, Naft works with them to run faster.

"Even when a patient does extremely well, we're always looking to see what we can do for them to improve their lifestyle," Naft says. "I don't want to say it's like my golf game ... but you can always get better. That's what's exciting for us and for our patients."

One of Naft's favorite responsibilities is performing "research" to determine a patient's distinctive movement demands.

For example, if a patient runs, Naft runs along with him. If a patient plays golf, he watches her play, which usually results in hitting a few balls with the patient to experience how her prosthetic leg is performing.

"Personally and professionally, I find there's nothing greater than going out with a group of amputees to watch them play golf or golf with them, so I can play a part in making them better," Naft says. He also does home and workplace visits to ensure the limbs meet specific demands.

While assisting with the Para Olympic games " held after the close of the regular Olympics - Naft demands patients develop their potential and increase their range of motion and activities.

He volunteered at the 1996 and 2000 Para Olympics, working with track-and-field athletes in the summer games and with skiers for the winter games. Naft's role is similar to a pit crewmember's in auto racing: In the heat of competition, he helps athletes maintain and maximize their prosthetic devices.

He's witnessed the competitive feats of amputee athletes, such as the sprinter with two prosthetic legs who recorded a 100-meter dash time less than two seconds slower than the Olympic world record.

"It gets more exciting every year," Naft says. "As the technology gets better and devices get lighter, they can do things we weren't able to do even two or three years ago."

GRE will sponsor an outdoor Para Olympic-style sports festival in the fall for regional athletes to showcase their abilities and enhance awareness of what disabled athletes can accomplish. The location has yet to be finalized, but Naft hopes to hold the event in downtown Cleveland.

Naft possesses a triathlete's body and an engineer's mind, two ideal qualities for an orthotics and prosthetics practitioner.

As a child growing up in South Euclid, Naft treasured playing with erector sets and science projects more than watching television. He was the resident fix-it kid on the block.

"I was often recruited to construct everything from elaborate snow forts to complicated swing sets," Naft says.

At The Ohio State University College of Engineering in the mid-1980s, Naft developed a fascination for designing and developing biomedical components. After graduating in 1989 with a degree in electrical engineering he went on to Northwestern University Medical School Prosthetic-Orthotic Center, where he worked as a resident for a year and a half before graduating in 1994 and becoming a licensed prosthetist.

"My mentors have always been my patients," Naft says. "I am fortunate that their powers of mind, body and spirit have inspired me to create devices that assist them in achieving their goals."

Naft worked briefly for another company before launching a solo practice in 1995 in Chardon. In 1999, he built GRE's current facility a few miles down the road. The company also operates facilities in Mentor and Ashtabula. Naft chose Chardon because of its proximity to Heather Hill Rehabilitation Center, Geauga Hospital, Interstate 90 and U.S. 422 and his home.

GRE has had an impact on Chuck Orlowski's life. Ten years ago, Orlowski, a construction worker, was pinned between two machines. A week later, surgeons amputated Orlowski's right leg below his knee. He struggled with his situation both physically and emotionally for more than a year, changing doctors and therapists several times, until he met Naft, whose offices were close to Orlowski's home and job.

"Jonathan has been very innovative when it came to putting together the best leg for me," says Orlowski, 33, who continues to operate heavy equipment while working 16- to 18-hour days as a production manager at GTO Inc. in Mentor.

Although Orlowski was only a casual jogger before the accident, Naft has his patient running eight-minute miles and encourages him to compete in triathlons.

"Jonathan just does things differently, and he really turned me on to what I could accomplish even with a prosthetic limb," Orlowski says.

Naft persuaded Orlowski to take a trip to Disney World with his family, despite his fears that he wouldn't be able to keep up with his sons, ages 5 and 2.

"Before we left, Jonathan upgraded my leg, and he assured me that if something did go wrong, he could connect me with someone in Florida to take care of it," Orlowski says.

Anne Spadaro, a physical therapist and coordinator of the Rehab and Subacute Unit for South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights, says Naft has a special touch.

"We can select any prosthetics com-pany we want to work with," she says. "But I chose Jonathan because he has the right personality to work with this kind of patient, since he can be very calming and motivating."

Naft has developed extensive relationships with the leaders in Cleveland's burgeoning biomedical industry, The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals Health Systems. He also recently formed a partnership with Wyatt Newman, a Case Western Reserve University engineer who assists with the design of prototype devices.

Naft believes research and development, which constitutes about 20 percent of his business " patient care accounts for the rest " represents his company's distinguishing feature. Future growth includes expanding prototyping and licensing capabilities so they eventually make up nearly half of GRE's business.

"In the Northeast Ohio region, there are numerous technology and biotech companies with expertise in certain areas related to our work," Naft says. "So when we combine our individual niches, then we can really make some advances."

For his part, Naft just wants to help individuals who have suffered a devastating loss that can be extremely difficult to overcome.

"If someone comes into our office and they don't have the ability to walk well, but at the end of their visit, they walk better, then we've done our job," he concludes. "That's very rewarding, and it's a lot of fun, too."