It's an unlikely story – but an Australian dentist has made the world's first prosthetic foot for a koala.

这是一个难以置信的故事：一位澳大利亚牙医制作了世界上首个给考拉用的义肢。

 

Jon Doulman, Dental Prosthetist

My name's Jon Doulman – and I'm a prosthetist, I make dentures – so it was just a matter of bending the rules a bit I suppose.

乔恩·杜尔曼     牙科修复师

“我是乔恩·杜尔曼，是一名修复师，我制作假牙。从制作假牙到制作义肢，我想这只是一个需要稍加变通的问题。”

 

This is Triumph – Jon's first animal patient. He's a rescue koala who was born without a foot.

这是考拉 “胜利”，它是乔恩的第一位动物病人。它是一只获救的考拉，生下来就少长了一只爪子。

 

Marley Christian¹, Vet² Nurse

Because he didn't have a foot, he limped and he wouldn't put pressure on it. He had difficulty in climbing. He could not jump, and of course, he walked a lot slower.

马莉·克里斯蒂安     动物护理员

“由于它少一只爪子，所以走路是跛着的，它不在那条腿上施加压力。它爬行困难。它跳不起来，当然，走路也比正常考拉慢得多。”

 

Marley wanted to help Triumph with his mobility³. But when initial attempts to make a prosthetic failed, she ended up going down a less conventional route.

马莉想帮助考拉胜利改善它的行动能力。但在最初几次制作义肢的尝试失败之后，她最终另辟蹊径。

 

Marley Christian, Vet Nurse

I was speaking to our local dentist, Jon, and he wanted to have a look. I thought, hmm, OK!

马莉·克里斯蒂安     动物护理员

“当时，我和我们当地的牙医乔恩说了这件事，他想看一看。我想，那好吧！”

 

Jon Doulman, Dental Prosthetist

I realised that he was in trouble. Just watching him walk around, holding his leg in the air. The fact that his leg bone almost protrudes⁴ through the bottom, so he's standing⁵ on it, and I thought there's nothing to lose – I should have a go at [helping] him.

乔恩·杜尔曼     牙科修复师

“我意识到它的处境艰难。看着它四处走动，一条腿悬在空中的样子，就能明白它的处境。它的腿骨几乎从底部伸了出来，因此它是站在腿骨上的，我想已经没什么好怕的了，我应该试着帮帮它。”

 

So, Jon made a model of Triumph's leg and got to work looking for a solution.

就这样，乔恩为考拉胜利的腿制作了一个模型，并开始寻找解决办法。

 

Jon Doulman, Dental Prosthetist

I came up with the idea of making a boot out of this dental material. And luckily, he has, almost has, a little ankle here – which means that this thing can slip over it and we can Velcro at the top, which is what's holding it on. And then it was just a matter of giving him some tread pattern so he could grip.

乔恩·杜尔曼     牙科修复师

“我想出了用这种牙科材料制作靴子的主意。幸运的是，它在这个部位有一个小脚踝，这意味着这个东西可以套上去，我们可以在顶部用一个尼龙搭扣固定。剩下的就是给鞋底加点花纹防滑。”

 

Luckily, Triumph took to the new boot immediately.

幸运的是，考拉胜利立刻就适应了这只新靴子。

 

Marley Christian, Vet Nurse

So since I put it on him, he actually did this little jump – started running around, so… yeah, he reacted really, really well. He seems like, I don't know, he was reborn again, he was just rejuvenated⁶. I have to say that I cried because it was just such a great moment.

马莉·克里斯蒂安     动物护理员

“自从我给它穿上靴子之后，它就跳了一下，开始跑来跑去，它的反应真的很好。它就像重获新生了一样，恢复了活力。不得不承认，当时我哭了，因为那真是一个很美妙的时刻。”

 

Now Jon's working on a new version ­– improving the boot design.

现在，乔恩正在研制一个新版本，以改进靴子的设计。

 

Marley Christian, Vet Nurse

Amazing! Amazing that it could be done. And it just gives him a better quality of life – because he's going to be in captivity⁷ for the rest of his life.

马莉·克里斯蒂安     动物护理员

“太棒了！这件事情能够成功，真是太棒了。这个靴子还提高了它的生活质量，因为它一生都将活在饲养环境中。”

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