Self energized power system for above knee prostheses

Little, if any, difference in basic layout has obtained in artificial lower limbs since the days of Paré. The bulk of the work to date has been oriented towards improving the conventional prosthetic layout which embodies that of the skeletal structure of the normal lower limb. Part of the Prosthetic programme at the BioEngineering Unit, University of Strathclyde, is the development of an experimental basis of unconventional artificial limbs. One of these—a kneeless lower limb with telescopic action will be described. This, in the form of a simple telescopic linkage, incorporates a self-energized pneumatic mechanism. The resultant gait closely approximates the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of normal gait. The contribution describes the basic concepts, features of the design development, details of the practical construction and presents results of pilot tests on patients.