How Do Socket Adjustments Impact Comfort?

Vanessa Krautmanm from the University of Stuutgart, Germany and Angie Wong & Silvia Raschke from MAKE + at BCIT

When designing a socket, Certified Prosthetists have many decisions to make regarding the design of the socket shape and where to place the pressure on the individual’s limb in order to support their body weight through gait. The purpose of this pilot study was to gain objective knowledge about how a prosthetist modifies prosthetic sockets and how these adjustments influence pressure distributions within the socket. Two participants took part in this pilot study. They were fit with 3D printed sockets and their socket comfort and pressure distribution was monitored as adjustments were made to the socket.