[Effects of frictional properties on traumas of rabbit skin]

Simulative experiments on skin traumas between prosthetic socket materials and residual limb skin were investigated by using the means of tribology, histology and animal experiment. Healthy adult rabbits were used as animal model and their denuded back skin was selected as experimental position to simulate residual limb skin. The effects of different normal load and reciprocal sliding frequency on rabbit skin trauma grade were investigated by using a reciprocal sliding skin friction testing apparatus to simulate prosthesis gait. The traumatic subcutaneous tissue slice was stained with hematoxylineosin and the morphology was observed under the optical microscope. The scab thickness of traumatic skin was measured under x 10 object lens. The inflammatory cells were counted in a given visual field under x 20 object lens. The statistical significance analysis of scab thickness and inflammatory cells were carried out to assess the effect of different frictional conditions on skin pathological traumas. The results showed: the greater normal load and higher reciprocal sliding frequency applied on the rabbit skin, the more serious injury to skin and more inflammatory cells in the subcutaneous tissue at the same time. The findings provide a theoretical basis of comfortized prosthesis design and gait analysis for the amputee.