Amputee Life — Prosthetic Issues

Prosthetic devices are meant to improve the quality of life of people with limb loss. But effective use of these devices is only possible after proper training, which requires time and commitment beyond the clinic. However, for some individuals, there’s not enough motivation to train, so prosthetic limb rejection has become common.

After amputation surgery, lower-limb amputees suffer from an inefficient gait as the body adjusts and compensates for deviations from the normal gait. Thus, the prosthetic components’ design and fit are essential to reduce the harmful effects of these deviations. However, traditional prosthetic feet have been found inadequate in improving the energy demands of the gait change.

It is no secret that limb loss has numerous adverse effects on a person's physical, emotional, psychological, and social health. Numerous challenges need to be addressed to improve amputees' quality of life. A recently published study looked into improving the quality of life of above-knee amputees by collecting user data to enhance prosthetic knees.

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.

Consulting with a prosthetist who doesn’t seem to listen can be frustrating. Every appointment feels like a race—as if you only have a few minutes to share your concerns. You go through your "punch list" of issues, and you’re not quite sure if your prosthetist understands what you’re trying to communicate.