# Össur (Embla Medical)

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/companies/ossur
Össur is an Icelandic maker of prosthetic legs, feet and braces, founded in Reykjavik in 1971. Since 2024 its listed parent is Embla Medical. It makes the Power Knee, the first motor-powered prosthetic knee.

## In brief

- Össur became Embla Medical in April 2024 (ticker EMBLA, Nasdaq Copenhagen); Össur stays the product brand.
- Power Knee first appeared in 2006; a lighter generation with a 25-hour battery launched in February 2022.
- In April 2025 Medicare created code L5827 for electromechanical knees like the Power Knee.

## Facts

- Founded: 1971
- Headquarters: IS
- Status: public
- Listing: EMBLA (Nasdaq CPH)
- Website: https://www.ossur.com
- Frontiers: [Neurotech](https://technooptimist.io/neurotech.md) (Bionic limbs & muscle control)

## Programs

- [Power Knee](https://technooptimist.io/neurotech/power-knee.md) (Neurotech): Deploy. On sale since the 2022 generation; own Medicare code L5827 since April 2025

## Technical approach

- **Powered joints: Motors that add energy, not just brake**: Most bionic knees only vary resistance; Össur's Power Knee uses a motor to push the user up stairs and out of chairs.
- **Adaptive control: Microprocessors that read gait**: Onboard sensors track speed, cadence and terrain and adjust the joint in real time, step by step.

## Open problems

- **Direct neural control** (active research): Today's knees infer intent from load and motion sensors, not from the user's own nerve or muscle signals.

## Latest updates

- **16 Apr 2025**: Medicare's new code L5827 for electromechanical knees takes effect for the Power Knee. After a request from Medicare contractor Palmetto GBA, the HCPCS committee created code L5827 for knees with electromechanical swing and stance control, replacing three codes written for fluid-controlled knees. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/medicare-s-new-code-l5827-for-electromechanical-knees-takes-effect-for-9475264c.md) · [original source](https://www.ossur.com/en-us/professionals/ossur-rr/new-coding-for-powered-knees))
- **21 Feb 2024**: Össur creates a new listed parent company, Embla Medical. Össur proposed renaming its listed entity Embla Medical, which becomes the parent of the Össur, College Park and FIOR & GENTZ brands and its patient care clinics. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ossur-creates-a-new-listed-parent-company-embla-medical-0a8b44da.md) · [original source](https://www.ossur.com/global/about-ossur/newsroom/ossur-establishes-new-parent-organization-embla-medical))
- **9 Feb 2022**: Össur launches new Power Knee, which it calls the world's first actively powered microprocessor knee. Össur released a new generation of its Power Knee for people with above-knee amputation. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ossur-launches-new-power-knee-which-it-calls-the-world-s-first-actively-6102d384.md) · [original source](https://www.ossur.com/en-us/about-ossur/newsroom/ossur-launches-new-power-knee))

## Partners, customers and investors

- William Demant Invest (investor): Majority shareholder of Embla Medical.

## People

- Sveinn Sölvason, President and CEO

---

The Techno Optimist tracks every frontier of technology, program by program: https://technooptimist.io/ (a Markdown version of any page: add .md to its URL; site map for agents: https://technooptimist.io/llms.txt).
Data API (JSON, realtime stream): https://technooptimist.io/developers. People read 5 pages free, then Reader $10/month; these Markdown pages are open to agents.