University of Twente Student Theses
Exploring improvements to the manufacturing process of the transfemoral socket volume
Fuente, BSc Pim de la (2024) Exploring improvements to the manufacturing process of the transfemoral socket volume.
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| Abstract: | Introduction – Provision of a prosthetic device is essential for successful rehabilitation after an amputation, but only realised for 5 – 15% of the patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The 3D Sierra Leone project aims to improve prosthetic accessibility and decrease operator dependency in LMICs, by streamlining the manufacturing process. This thesis builds further on a previous framework for the transfemoral (TF) hybrid socket, focussing on the socket volume. It explores possibilities to further standardize the measurement and design method to close the knowledge gap regarding socket manufacturing and improve measurement reproducibility. Methodology – The explorative work presented in the thesis consisted of three studies. The first study mapped different measurement and design methods for the TF prosthetic socket, utilized by Dutch prosthetists, with an interview, observations and a questionnaire. Subsequently an experimental study was used to research the effect of wearing a prosthetic liner during residual limb measurement on measurement reproducibility as well as on shape and volume of the residual limb. At last, it was evaluated if the measurements obtained while wearing the liner could be translated into a socket design that is applied in a LMIC setting. Results – The first study confirmed the variety in methodologies among prosthetists, highlighting the dominance of manual techniques in TF socket manufacturing and the absence of a broad accepted guideline. While different residual limb and patient characteristics were found to influence socket design, the quantitative relationship between them remains unclear. The second study showed that wearing a prosthetic liner improved measurement reproducibility, though no consistent effect on residual limb shape and volume was found. However, due to the small sample size and the high risk of measurement errors from the manual plaster casting process, the study cannot provide a definitive conclusion on the added value of a prosthetic liner in the measurement process. In the last study, both participant and prosthetist assessments showed the best results for the socket with the liner and narrowest ML dimension, reporting improved fit and comfort. Yet, these findings are based on a single participant and may be influenced by its individual characteristics. Conclusion – The exploratory research presented in this thesis has provided important insights about the complexity of transfemoral socket manufacture process and taught valuable lessons regarding the direction of future research to the effect of the prosthetic liner. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | TNW: Science and Technology |
| Programme: | Technical Medicine MSc (60033) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/103768 |
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