Sports & Running Prosthetics
Prosthetics for Active Lives
Custom prosthetic devices for the activities you love, built and fit by a team that understands what active means to you.
What Are Sports Prosthetics?
An everyday prosthetic is built for walking: stability, comfort, and all-day wear. A sports prosthetic is built for movement that demands more from your body and your device.
Running blades use a curved, J-shaped carbon fiber design that stores energy when your foot hits the ground and returns it as you push off. Sport-specific knees flex and extend at the right timing for high-impact activity. Waterproof prosthetics let you swim, surf, and get in the water without worrying about damage to your device.
The socket matters even more for sports. Higher ground reaction forces mean any fit issue that barely registers at walking speed becomes a real problem during activity. Getting the socket, suspension, alignment, and components right for your sport is the difference between a prosthetic that holds you back and one that keeps up with you.
Is This for You?
People come to us at different points in their journey. Wherever you are, we can help.
You were active before your amputation and want to get back to it
Running, hiking, team sports, the gym. You know what you want to do. You need a prosthetic and a team that can get you there.
You are ready to try something new
Maybe you never ran before. Maybe you saw someone snowboarding or wake surfing on a prosthetic and thought: I want to try that. Starting a new activity as an amputee is absolutely possible with the right device and the right support.
Your current prosthetic limits your activity level
Your everyday leg handles walking fine, but it can not keep up when you push harder. An activity-specific prosthetic may be the answer, and it may now be covered by insurance in Minnesota.
You are a parent exploring options for your child
Kids want to run, play, and keep up with their friends. Pediatric sports prosthetics help them do exactly that. We work with families to find the right fit for growing, active children.
Running Prosthetics
Running is the most common reason people seek out a sport-specific prosthetic. Whether you are training for a 5K or just want to jog with your kids, a running prosthetic can make it happen.
Running blades are carbon fiber devices that compress under your body weight and release energy as you push off, mimicking the spring action of a calf muscle and Achilles tendon. They require a socket built to handle two to three times your body weight with every stride, and alignment tuned specifically for running gait rather than walking.
Below-knee amputees keep their natural knee joint, which provides a significant mechanical advantage for running. Above-knee amputees need a sport-specific prosthetic knee on top of the blade, and Team Tillges specializes in fitting advanced microprocessor knees for patients who want to get back to high-activity movement.
Carbon Fiber Blades
Store and return energy with each stride for efficient forward movement
Sport-Specific Sockets
Built to handle the higher ground reaction forces of running without pistoning
Running Gait Alignment
Tuned in our gait analysis gym for your body and your running mechanics
Beyond Running
Running is where many people start, but it is far from the only sport that benefits from a purpose-built prosthetic. We fit devices for a wide range of activities.
Swimming & Water Sports
Waterproof prosthetics and 3D-printed water legs let you swim, surf, snorkel, and water ski without worrying about damage. We build devices specifically for use in and around water.
Snowboarding & Skiing
Winter sport prosthetics handle the deep bends, cutting movements, and cold-weather conditions of skiing and snowboarding. Knees and feet are selected for dynamic lateral stability.
Golf
A golf prosthetic supports the rotational forces of a full swing, with socket and foot components that allow a stable stance, smooth weight transfer, and complete follow-through.
Other Sports
Hockey, basketball, cycling, soccer, and other team sports require prosthetics that handle quick direction changes, lateral cuts, and impact. We select components that balance agility and durability.
If your sport or activity is not listed here, call us. We fit prosthetics for a wide range of activities and can talk through what yours requires.
Why Tillges for Sports Prosthetics
Most prosthetic clinics outsource fabrication. At Tillges, the person designing your socket and the person building it work steps apart. That matters for every prosthetic, but it matters even more for sports.
On-Site Fabrication
Your sports prosthetic is designed, fabricated, and adjusted under one roof. When something needs to change, it changes the same day. No waiting weeks for a lab across the state to ship parts back.
Gait Analysis Gym
Our in-house therapy gym lets us analyze your running gait, walking mechanics, and sport-specific movement patterns in real time, then adjust your alignment and components on the spot.
Advanced Technology
From Ottobock microprocessor knees to 3D-printed water prosthetics, we work with the latest prosthetic components and use our ORTIS robotic carver and digital fabrication tools to build precise, custom devices.
Team-Based Care
Your prosthetist, technician, and care team collaborate throughout your fitting. We also coordinate with your physician and physical therapist to make sure your sports prosthetic works with your training plan.
Patient Stories
Active lives, real people, custom prosthetics built for the way they want to move.
Gunnar Has Been Active on a Prosthetic His Entire Life.
Gunnar lost his foot below the ankle in an accident when he was three years old. He received his first prosthesis from Shriners Hospital and never looked back. Growing up, he played soccer, basketball, and competed in track and field, all on a prosthetic.
With a running blade donated through Wiggle Your Toes, Gunnar pushed further into higher-activity sports. Today, he works at Tillges as a prosthetic technician while pursuing his Masters in Orthotics and Prosthetics at Concordia University. He brings a perspective to our team that only someone who has lived the amputee experience can offer.
"Know that you are a whole person. Find your new normal through use of your prosthesis and do not let it stop you from doing what you love."
Jed Lost His Leg in a Farming Accident. He Has Not Slowed Down Since.
Three years ago, Jed's life changed in an instant when his leg became caught in a piece of farming equipment, resulting in a below-knee amputation. He found Tillges through a Wiggle Your Toes mobility clinic.
Since then, Jed has picked up wake surfing, snowboarding, ice skating, hockey, mountain biking, and more. He works construction, farms on weekends, and plows snow in the winter. He also mentors other young amputees facing the same decisions he once did.
"Know that you are a whole person. Find your new normal through use of your prosthesis and do not let it stop you from doing what you love."
Barb Is a Quadruple Amputee. She Water Skis, Snorkels, and Hikes.
Barb Hinrichs of White Bear Lake spent nearly six months in hospitals and a rehabilitation center, enduring six surgeries and relearning basic tasks like swallowing and walking after losing both hands and both feet.
While in the hospital, she met the Tillges team. Today, Barb drives, snorkels, hikes, and water skis with the help of custom prosthetics from Tillges Orthotics and Prosthetics.
"They talked us through everything and had a positive attitude. 'We'll get you walking,' they said. They laid my fears to rest and helped me with moving forward and being able to finally get up and walk again."
Google Reviews
★★★★★
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Insurance Coverage for Sports Prosthetics
Cost and insurance have historically been the biggest barriers to getting an activity-specific prosthetic. Running blades, sport-specific knees, and waterproof prosthetics were routinely denied by insurers as "not medically necessary."
That changed in Minnesota.
So Every BODY Can Move Legislation
Effective January 1, 2025, Minnesota's So Every BODY Can Move legislation requires state-regulated commercial plans and Medicaid to cover activity-specific prosthetic devices, including running prosthetics. If you are covered by a Minnesota state-regulated commercial plan or Medicaid, a running blade or sport-specific prosthetic may now be covered.
If you are unsure about your coverage, call us. Our team can help you understand your benefits and what options are available to you before your first appointment.
Additional Resources
Wiggle Your Toes is a Minnesota-based nonprofit that funds running and fitness prosthetics and hosts mobility clinics for amputees.
Amputee Coalition provides peer support, education, and advocacy resources for people with limb loss.
Tillges FAQ covers common questions about prosthetic care, insurance, and what to expect.
How It Works
From first call to first run, here is what the process looks like.
1. Consultation
We assess your goals, activity level, amputation level, and current prosthetic situation. This conversation shapes everything that follows.
2. Design & Fitting
Your prosthetist selects the right components for your sport and builds a custom socket designed for the forces your activity demands.
3. Fabrication
Your device is built on-site in our fabrication lab. No outsourcing, no shipping delays. Your prosthetist and technician collaborate in real time.
4. Training & Gait Analysis
We analyze your movement in our therapy gym and fine-tune alignment and fit for your sport-specific mechanics.
5. Ongoing Support
As your activity level grows and your body changes, we adjust. Your sports prosthetic evolves with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
It means traveling to a specialized facility for a focused visit, typically when local options haven't been able to give you the fit or care you need. At Tillges Orthotics & Prosthetics, evaluation, casting, fabrication, and fitting all happen on-site during a single trip.
Yes. With the right prosthetic, proper training, and a team that understands running biomechanics, running after amputation is absolutely possible. Both below-knee and above-knee amputees run on today's prosthetic technology, from casual joggers to marathon finishers. Read our full guide to running with a prosthetic leg.
Not necessarily. Many amputees start jogging on their everyday prosthetic, especially at slower speeds or during walk-jog intervals. But as you push harder, a sport-specific prosthetic offers real advantages: better energy return, reduced impact on your residual limb, and alignment tuned for your sport rather than walking. Your prosthetist can help you decide when it makes sense to move to a dedicated device.
Minnesota's So Every BODY Can Move legislation, effective January 1, 2025, requires state-regulated commercial plans and Medicaid to cover activity-specific prosthetic devices, including running prosthetics. Before this law, insurers routinely denied running blades as "not medically necessary." If you are covered by a Minnesota state-regulated commercial plan or Medicaid, a running blade may now be covered. Call us at 651-772-2665 and we can help you understand your benefits.
Yes. Above-knee running is more challenging because it requires a prosthetic knee joint on top of the running blade, but it is possible. Team Tillges specializes in fitting advanced microprocessor knees and sport-specific knee components for patients who want to get back to high-activity movement.
Because we design, fabricate, and fit your device on-site, the process is faster than clinics that outsource lab work. Timelines vary depending on the complexity of your device and your activity goals, but we can give you a clear estimate during your initial consultation. Call us at 651-772-2665 to get started.
A properly fit running prosthetic should not cause pain. Some discomfort during the adjustment period is normal, and running introduces specific challenges that walking does not, including higher pressure on the residual limb and increased sweat. Persistent pain is always a sign that something needs adjustment. Your prosthetist should be monitoring your fit as you build up your running.