Amputee Life — Prosthetic Issues

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.

Loss of volume in your residual limb naturally happens as you go about your day. For most prosthetic users, maintaining an ideal socket fit requires adding another prosthetic sock ply at around 10 am or at noon. This can sometimes be a hassle, so the findings of a recent study published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International might be the answer you need for a better limb fluid management strategy.

Bicycling, or simply cycling, is popular among many amputees primarily because it’s easy on the knees and ankle joints. It’s good for increasing heart health and muscle strength, as well as developing coordination and balance. Cycling is also an excellent, low-impact method to increase the range of motion in the knees and hips. 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed a prosthetic socket fit sensor that identifies pressure points within a socket. As of this writing, the technology is patented and is available via patent license agreement to prosthetic companies that would make or sell the device commercially.