For more than 9 decades, our mission has been to restore and improve independence for people with mobility challenges. Most people know us as a company that manufactures products like prostheses, braces and orthoses, children’s wheelchairs, cushions and accessories. We take pride in the quality and advanced technology that are reflected in our product lines.

But there’s more. The people who work for us believe in our mission – taking it as a personal commitment to help make a difference for people who depend on one of our medical products to be more active.

Our dedication is reflected in the kinds of people we hire–clinicians like Byron who is personally involved in ensuring that our products do just what they promise to do. Or our ‘touch points’ for the people we serve, such as Sharon, our Customer Satisfaction Manager.

We look forward to getting to know you, and hope that you find the resources on this site helpful, too. We designed it to provide education and information that is customized for the people who use our products, as well as for their friends and family. If you have suggestions or comments, please let us know!

Our history
Ottobock was founded in Germany in 1919 by Otto Bock, a prosthetist. His vision of restoring mobility lives on today, growing to serve the world with more than 46 locations reaching more than 100 countries. The company is headquartered in Duderstadt, Germany, and has more than 5,000 employees.

In the early 20th century, Otto Bock transformed the way prosthetic limbs were made. Instead of carving wood to fit a patient, he applied manufacturing techniques and created separate components (like knees and feet) that could be combined, altered or customized to create a limb that was still unique to each patient – but wasn’t built from scratch.

Because of his pioneering work, Prosthetists were able to meet the demand generated by World War I and help veterans stay as active as possible.

North America
In 1958, our North American headquarters were established in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Canadian branch was founded in 1978 and is currently located in Toronto, Ontario. As the first branch, North America has led the way in advocating for and supporting local needs while still tapping into a global network of research and development, manufacturing, and clinical expertise. The people who use our products benefit from the synergy of a worldwide organization complemented by a local connection.

Finally, Ottobock continues to give back to the community, supporting various charities and projects that are consistent with our mission of restoring independence.