World-Class Experts Deliver Lectures for TNMU Faculty and Students

Due to Russia’s military aggression and attacks on civilian infrastructure, both military personnel and civilians in Ukraine are now facing a growing number of amputations. While the official number of individuals who have lost limbs is not disclosed, it continues to rise daily. Ukraine urgently needs highly qualified specialists to provide quality rehabilitation services for such patients.

In response to this need, TNMU launched a new educational and professional program in 2024 titled “Prosthetics and Orthotics”, alongside continuous improvement of its physical therapy and rehabilitation programs. One of the most persistent issues amputees face is phantom limb pain.

On April 16, 2025, an online lecture was held by renowned reconstructive and plastic surgeon Prof. Dr. Alexander Gardetto on the topic “Phantom Limb Pain and Its Treatment Through a Novel Surgical Approach.” More than 100 students and faculty members from I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University joined the event.

The lecture was divided into two parts. The first focused on the basics of TMR (Targeted Muscle Reinnervation) and TSR (Targeted Sensory Reinnervation), as well as techniques of amputation and reinnervation of the lower limb. The second part was dedicated to surgical approaches in the upper limb.

TMR – a revolutionary surgical innovation of the early 2000s – has now become an integral part of specific types of amputations and subsequent prosthetic procedures. It significantly enhances control and functionality of prosthetic limbs.

TSR is a surgical technique designed to restore sensory feedback from a prosthetic limb, making it more than just a cold substitute for a missing arm or leg. The method relies on neurophysiological principles of sensory nerves to help the patient “feel the prosthesis.”

TSR is primarily indicated for chronic phantom pain, neuropathic pain that is resistant to conventional treatment, and for its prevention. Special attention was also given to the innovative sensory feedback system developed by Saphenus Medical Technology, with which TNMU closely collaborates.
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Prof. Gardetto also shared inspiring real-life cases demonstrating how the application of these advanced techniques has transformed patients’ lives.