In Durango, people use prosthetic limbs as unique as their lifestyles

Amputee Jet Lewis of Durango has a new leg.

This one is computerized, adjustable, cushioned and much more natural-feeling, Lewis, a Durango resident, said.

It’s one of the most advanced prosthetic legs on the market, and its movement and reactivity can be tuned via a handheld computer to change softness and responsiveness.

It is a night-and-day difference compared to her old prosthesis, which had one setting and little joint flexion at the ankle.

Now, Lewis can walk up hills without turning sideways and easily cross a variety of surfaces, like gravel, on foot.

For those who are not missing a limb, it might not be immediately apparent how important sensation is to movement, she said. When one of the limbs that keeps one upright and moving has no sensation and can’t feel changes in terrain underfoot, movement is much more difficult.

“I’ve got more confidence now,” she said. “With this one, I’m just more comfortable, so I can go places I haven’t done before, and I’ll take the dog for a walk.”

As prosthetic technology rapidly advances, amputees like Lewis are gaining access to advanced devices that can adapt to terrain, reduce falls and open more doors to activities and types of movement.

But clinicians and patients say the technology is only part of the equation.

“The most important thing that we focus on is the individual patient and their needs,” said Bee Mathis, a certified orthotics and prosthetic clinician who works at Hanger Clinic in Durango. “Every single amputee is different, and what their needs are, are extremely different as well.”

For some amputees, that may mean not using a prosthesis at all. Mathis said prosthetics are simply one tool among many.

Mathis, in addition to her work, is an avid outdoorswoman and advocate. She also happens to use a prosthesis.

As a gravel biker, ice climber, angler and runner, she needs a variety of different prosthetics to recreate in all the ways she would like.

“I always consider these devices a tool in the toolbox,” she said. “I have a wheelchair, I have crutches and I have my prosthetic leg.”

Lewis has a different tool box. She is missing the lower half of her leg. It was amputated 12 years ago as a last resort after years of unsuccessful surgeries attempted to return some of the limb’s functionality following a workplace accident with a hydraulic pressure machine.

She’s had many prosthetic legs over the years and the original ones were horrible, clunky and poorly fitted, she said.

Even her last leg, a good one by comparison to the early models, did not have the flexibility to engage in multiple activities. She would have to swap it out with a leg for swimming, a leg for running, a leg for hiking and a leg for walking. Now, with her computerized leg, she can use the same one for most activities.

“This makes all the difference in the world – all the difference in the world,” she said. “And it’s amazing how many people don’t know about it, or that they even have the option.”

She had presented with problems with her prosthesis, prompting a full re-evaluation, said her clinician, Holly Olszweki, a certified prosthetist and orthotist, and the clinic manager for Hanger Clinic in the Four Corners.

Over time, a limb’s shape can change with weight fluctuations, medication, tissue remodeling and simple maturation, and that directly affects how well the socket fits, Olszweki said.

For Lewis, the key functional complaint was difficulty walking comfortably on hills and slopes. She was using a foot with a hydraulic ankle, a good technology, Olszweki said, but one that provides essentially fixed resistance once it’s set.

Lewis wanted to be more active, so the Olszweki proposed a trial of a microprocessor ankle, a device that uses sensors and a battery-driven mechanism to adjust resistance step by step.

Many people may not actually have the option. While medical prosthetics are rapidly improving, insurance agencies often refuse to foot the bill.

“The problem with prosthetics is that it’s at the mercy of the insurance company. And insurance companies – they’re going to allow you the inexpensive ones, you know, the cheaper ones,” Lewis said.

Many prosthetic components require preauthorization and the team works with physicians to get detailed clinical notes and write their own justification letters to support coverage.

However, insurance can still deny or limit secondary or sports prostheses and higher-tech components, even if they are clinically appropriate.

And the technology is expensive. Lewis said her last leg would have cost around $150,000 out of pocket.

Insurance companies regularly don’t see additional prosthetics as “medically necessary,” Mathis said.

She worked to pass “So Everybody Can Move” legislation to require insurers to cover a second prosthetic or orthotic device for activity‑specific use, like running, swimming or a host of other activities.

In 2025, the Colorado legislature passed a bill that required insurance companies to provide coverage for prosthetic devices designed for recreational activities.

Although the state’s new legislation changed that, it does not apply to all insurance. It applies to any insurer operating in the state that sells regulated plans in those categories while leaving out self-funded employer plans and federal programs.

For example, in New Mexico – which passed similar legislation – Medicaid and Medicare follow the bill, but in Colorado, they don’t, Mathis said.

“We’re working on getting it across all boards,” she said.

In the meantime, Durango is a really supportive community.

“I think we are so fortunate to have a good portion of our patient population who are really engaged with the Durango lifestyle,” Olszewski said.

Mathis often needs customized equipment that does not exist commercially. In one case, a friend welded a crampon attachment onto one of her prosthetics so she could continue ice climbing.

That kind of creativity reflects the broader Durango community, she said, where welders, athletes and clinicians often collaborate to help amputees stay active outdoors.

“We kind of go out of the box to build prosthetic devices with the help of people in the community,” she said. “Durango is small, but we can really utilize resources from the community and be able to give back.”

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Editors note: Jet Lewis worked at The Durango Herald for over a year as a customer service representative. Her last day at the newspaper was last week.