Pantyhose prosthesis: a cosmetic alternative

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Prosthetics and Orthotics

Background:

• Patients with above-knee amputations often require cosmetic prostheses to improve body image and psychosocial well-being.
• Existing cosmetic prostheses can be costly, difficult to fabricate, or lack durability and flexibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel, low-cost cosmetic prosthesis for nonambulatory patients with unilateral or bilateral above-knee amputations.
• To highlight the advantages of durability, flexibility, and aesthetic appearance of the described device.

Main Methods:

• The study describes the fabrication of a cosmetic prosthesis.
• The described method is applicable to above-knee, below-knee, and hip disarticulation amputations.

Main Results:

• The described cosmetic prosthesis is durable, flexible, and offers an excellent appearance.
• The device can be manufactured with minimal cost and difficulty.

Conclusions:

• A cost-effective and high-quality cosmetic prosthesis can be fabricated for nonambulatory amputees.
• The described fabrication method is versatile and adaptable to various amputation levels, including below-knee and hip disarticulation.