Our History and Qualifications 

The story of Oertel Orthopedics started in Lorbau East Germany in 1918. Horst Oertel was raised in the family’s business started by his grandfather Otto.  At 17, Horst escaped to freedom during construction of the Berlin Wall. He could not tell his mother that he was leaving for fear of retribution against her. Horst practiced prosthetics and orthotics around the world, eventually making his way to Brazil before moving to Elizabeth, New Jersey to work for a local prosthetics and orthotics company and pursue his American dream.  In 1968, Horst opened his first practice, Modern Limb and Brace Company in Watchung. Oertel Orthopedics was founded in 1983 and has been at the same convenient location on Route 22 in Union for more than 30 years.

Horst’s eldest son Eric grew up in the profession, spending many hours during his youth learning alongside technicians as they were constructing prosthetic limbs and orthopedic braces. Eric earned a BSW in Medicine from the University of Washington, Seattle, and went on to specialize in both orthotics and prosthetics. Eric’s education included residencies in Germany and Belgium as well as the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC where he learned about both traditional and state-of-the-art practices in the field. He combines that international knowledge with his dual specializations and decades of experience to maximize patient outcomes where others fail. 

Eric worked for a large, national P&O provider for over 15 years, managing offices and territories in several states and serving on the national specialist team. He has also taught university courses in prosthetics and orthotics and has served on several professional advisory boards. 

Despite enjoying his work with patients, Eric grew increasingly frustrated being part of a corporate environment that he felt prioritized stockholder earnings.  In 2018, he returned home to New Jersey, took over ownership of Oertel Orthopedics and began upgrading the facility with the latest technology in order to continue to best serve our patients’ needs. 

Eric is known for his successful patient outcomes and his meticulous pursuit of patient satisfaction.  It was this reputation that caused two Paralympians to seek him out; one of whom traveled half way around the world for his expertise. In fact, when other prosthetics and orthotics providers cannot successfully fit their own patients, they regularly send them to us!

Oertel Orthopedics is also regarded for our on-site fabrication facility because we know that the best chance of patient success is with an appliance that is manufactured to our exacting standards under the supervision of the clinician familiar with the patient – not some centralized fabrication facility.

We treat our patients as if they were part of our family, and we believe that your best chance of success with your prosthetic and orthotic needs is with Oertel Orthopedics.

100+ Years of a Family Business