Design and development of a new right arm prosthetic kit for a racing cyclist

This case report describes a newly developed prosthetic arm for a world class trans-humeral amputee cyclist. The proposed solution consists of a new prosthetic kit that was designed to meet requirements of weight, freedom of movement and precise positioning for the disciplines of time-trial, pursuit, road and team sprint. The kit is made of different attachments that can be changed depending on the event the athlete is competing in. The prosthesis is composed of an extended socket made of composite materials, an arm made of aluminum tubes, a universal joint for the junction with the handlebars and different attachments for each bicycle. The system's weight is kept to a minimum using finite element analysis and careful material selection. The universal joint provides the angular degrees of freedom required to allow the athlete to stand up while pedaling, a freedom of movement lost since amputation. In this case report, the athlete's needs are presented and followed by the design of the product using Finite Element modeling. Results are then presented and discussed. This prosthetic kit was used by the athlete for the 2008 Paralympics games in Beijing.