Development of Subischial Prosthetic Sockets with Vacuum-Assisted Suspension for Highly Active Persons with Transfemoral Amputations

The purpose of this project is to develop a highly flexible sub-ischial prosthetic socket with assisted-vacuum suspension for highly active persons with transfemoral amputation. The Specific Aims are to: A1. Develop a highly flexible socket with sub-ischial trim lines; A2. Develop durable liners and sealing sleeves; A3. Develop/identify an appropriate vacuum pump; A4. Evaluate system performance with military amputees; and A5. Develop education materials. For Aims 1 and 2, we have created a finite element model to assess our system and investigated different liners and sealing solutions. For Aim 3, we have identified options for vacuum pumps, characterized currently available pumps, and developed a hybrid mechanical-electrical pump design for persons with transfemoral amputation. We have IRB approval in place for Aim 4 which is scheduled to begin in Year 3. For Aim 5, we have developed a computer program to quantify socket rectifications and begun development of education materials to facilitate dissemination of this technique.