Effects of the Posterior Wall Height of a Trans-Tibial Prosthetic Socket on the Inner Pressure and Gait

Abstract

The interface functions of the socket of the trans-tibial prosthesis are known to be the storage of the stump, the support of the body weight and effective force transmission from the prosthetic limb to the lower extremity. In this study, we aimed at investigating how the posterior wall height of a trans-tibial prosthetic socket effects on the afore-mentioned functions. The height was set at three different levels such as “Normal height”, “Normal height-5mm” and “Normal height-15mm”. Subjects were five trans-tibial amputee volunteers. Experimental results suggested that the length of stump and the body height significantly affect the relationship between the posterior wall height of a trans-tibial prosthetic socket and each of the following parameters such as the contact pressure of the socket, the kinematics of the lower limbs and the muscle activity of the lower extremity.