Medical Appliance Technicians

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

• Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications.
• Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels.
• Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.
• Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools required.
• Make orthotic or prosthetic devices, using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and hand or power tools.
• Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components.
• Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.
• Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
• Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
• Cover or pad metal or plastic structures or devices, using coverings such as rubber, leather, felt, plastic, or fiberglass.
• Order parts or supplies for orthotic or prosthetic devices.
• Mix pigments to match patients' skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices.