Comfort level discussion for prosthetic sockets with different fabricating processing conditions

• Published in: Biomedical engineering online Vol. 17; no. S2; pp. 145 - 17
• Main Authors: Hsu, Cheung-Hwa, Ou, Chao-Hui, Hong, Wei-Lun, Gao, Yu-Han
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 06.11.2018; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Amputation; Amputation Stumps; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biomedical engineering; Body measurements; CAD; CAE; Computer aided design; Computer aided engineering; Data processing; Design; Design and construction; Design engineering; Digitization; Discomfort; Fabrication; Female; Gait; Gait Analysis; Gait recognition; Humans; Interface pressures; Interfacial stresses; Kinematics; Male; Manufacturing; Methods; Pain; Pain - etiology; Pain - prevention & control; Parameter modification; Patient Comfort; Patient satisfaction; Pressure; Prostheses; Prostheses and implants; Prosthesis Design - instrumentation; Prosthesis Design - methods; Prosthetic socket; Rapid prototyping; Reverse engineering; Sockets; Software; Stress; Stress, Mechanical; Studies; Therapeutic applications; Tibia; Tomography; Taiwan; Prosthetic socket; Rapid prototyping; Interface pressures; Gait analysis
• ISSN: 1475-925X; 1475-925X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12938-018-0577-2

In the past, manufacture of prosthetic socket by using traditional handmade method not only consumed research time but also required a special assembly approach. Recently, reverse engineering and rapid prototype technology have grown up explosively, and thus, provide a choice to fabricate prosthetic socket. Application 3D computer aided design and manufacturing (computer-aided design/computer-aided engineering) tools approach the surface shape stump data is digitized and can be easily modified and reused. Collocation investigates gait parameters of prosthetic socket, and interface stress between stump and socket with different processing conditions. Meanwhile, questionnaire was utilized to survey satisfaction rating scale, comfort level, of subjects using this kind of artificial device. The main outcome of current research including gait parameters, stress interface and satisfaction rating scale those would be an informative reference for further studies in design and manufacture as well as clinical applications of prosthetic sockets. This study found that, regardless of the method used for socket fabrication, most stress was concentrated in tibia end pressure-relief area. This caused discomfort in the area of tibia end to the participant wearing prosthesis. This discomfort was most evident in case when the prosthetic socket was fabricated using RE and RP.