%0 Journal Article
%T A Low-Cost Customizable Prosthetic Foot with Energy Return Capabilities
%A £¿Joshua Bowen
%J -
%D 2018
%X Background: Energy storage and return prosthetic feet 
  improve the mobility of lower-limb amputees but prosthetic 
  solutions available in the Under-Developed World do not 
  meet the needs of active amputees.
  Case description and methods: This study aimed at 
  developing and testing a hand-manufactured low-cost 
  modular prosthetic foot with energy-return capabilities. 
  Carbon fiber layers of varying stiffness were assembled to 
  construct the toe section. Static tests were performed to 
  measure the overall foot stiffness and ensure that our 
  prototype withstands proof and ultimate loads. Two 
  unilateral amputees performed gait trials to assess the 
  prototype¡¯s behaviour during gait.
  Findings and outcomes: Interchangeable toe layers enabled 
  the prototype¡¯s stiffness to vary between 31 and 40 N/mm, 
  to withstand proof and ultimate ISO loads, and to return 
  about 70% of the energy stored during loading. Two 
  amputees tested the foot and were able to maintain 
  temporal gait parameters within 10% of the values 
  measured when using their own prosthetic feet.
  Conclusion: This study confirmed the feasibility of handmanufacturing 
  a low-cost modular composite fibre 
  prosthetic foot with energy return capabilities.
%K Prosthetic
%K Feet
%K Energy return
%K Modular
%K Low
cost
%K list of open access journals
%K open access
%K open access journals
%K open access publication
%K open access publisher
%K open access publishing
%K open access journal articles
%K imedpub
%K imedpub publishing
%K insight medical publishing
%K imedpub online
%U https://www.imedpub.com/articles/a-lowcost-customizable-prosthetic-foot-with-energy-return-capabilities.php?aid=22660