A new method to quantify liner deformation within a prosthetic socket for below knee amputees

Many amputees who wear a leg prosthesis develop significant skin wounds on their residual limb. The exact cause of these wounds is unclear as little work has studied the interface between the prosthetic device and user. Our research objective was to develop a quantitative method for assessing displacement patterns of the gel liner during walking for patients with transtibial amputation. Using a reflective marker system and a custom clear socket, evaluations were conducted with a clear transparent test socket mounted over a plaster limb model and a deformable limb model. Distances between markers placed on the limb were measured with a digital caliper and then compared with data from the motion capture system. Additionally, the rigid plaster set-up was moved in the capture volume to simulate walking and evaluate if inter-marker distances changed in comparison to static data. Dynamic displacement trials were then collected to measure changes in inter-marker distance due to vertical elongation of the gel liner. Static and dynamic inter-marker distances within day and across days confirmed the ability to accurately capture displacements using this new approach. These results encourage this novel method to be applied to a sample of amputee patients during walking to assess displacements and the distribution of the liner deformation within the socket. The ability to capture changes in deformation of the gel liner will provide new data that will enable clinicians and researchers to improve design and fit of the prosthesis so the incidence of pressure ulcers can be reduced.