What is a prosthetic bottom (distal) end pad? It's a prosthetic gel pad designed to function as a shock absorbing cushion, accommodate sizing changes and help provide total contact. Some gel end pads you can cut and customize, incase you want to place a pad inside your prosthetic liner to enhance its fit. Adding pads to the bottom of a prosthetic socket began when it was discovered that an open-end socket had the potential to cause a skin disorder called verrucose hyperplasia.