Amputee Life — Prosthetic Issues

Previous studies have pointed to using prosthetic limbs to improve quality of life, but how can using a prosthetic limb daily influence quality of life? Researchers sought to find out.

Optimizing prosthetic socket function often comes with a bit of trial and error. Since no one has thoroughly studied what happens in the prosthetic socket during movement, prosthetists often deal with patient complaints by repeatedly modifying the socket based on the patient’s feedback. However, researchers believe there is a better way to refine prosthetic sockets.

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.