Amputee Life — Amputee News

Blake Leeper, an American Paralympic runner who uses two prosthetic legs, lost an appeal to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics slated for July 2021.

There is no shortage of prosthetic technology developments. However, as prosthetic limbs become more advanced, many prosthetic users still report some level of discomfort. This is in part due to the inherent fragility of the skin.

Prosthetic fittings will soon become easier and more accurate as Adapttech, a British-Portuguese biomedical company, prepares to launch a prosthetic fitting system in the US after successful user testing in Europe. The system, called INSIGHT, will make socket fittings more data-driven and offer the ability to monitor a patient's rehabilitation process. The system looks promising as the company released the initial results of user testing.

Experts at the Advanced Platform Technology Center at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center are working together with their colleagues at the University of Chicago and Case Western Reserve University to develop a new socket material that can better absorb and channel the sweat that tends to build up inside your prosthesis. Should this development become available to everyone, it would significantly improve daily life for many prosthesis users.

One out of two prosthetic users reports the fear of falling, which can result in a more sedentary lifestyle as they avoid certain activities to prevent tripping or falling. The redesigned Össur Proprio Foot aims to reduce the possibility of falling while also helping prosthetic users walk naturally on any terrain.