Biomechanical Evaluation of a Novel, Compliant Low Profile Prosthetic Foot

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PROJECT SUMMARY While conventional wisdom holds that individuals with longer residual limbs retain greater function, they are actually confined to low-profile feet that limit performance. In particular, low-profile feet are often much stiffer than their standard profile counterparts. As such, many of the individuals with transtibial amputation that have long residual limbs are unable to obtain prosthetic feet that adequately meet their needs. This Phase I application describes a layered low-profile prosthetic foot for individuals with transtibial amputation that can achieve an unprecedented level of compliance without sacrificing strength. As a result of this novel design, preliminary work has shown energy storage and stiffness comparable to a standard height prosthetic foot in a package just one third the build height. The primary goal of this Phase I proposal is to conduct a multi-subject assessment of the value of the proposed prosthesis both relative to a range of standard profile feet, and also relative to commercially available low-profile feet. In order to do so, we propose the following aims: 1) design and test a family of layered low- profile feet for users up to 100 kg with foot sizes from 22 to 28 cm, 2) assess the biomechanical benefits of the layered low-profile foot with three transtibial prosthesis users with short residual limbs and three users with long residual limbs during level ground walking, and 3) assess the biomechanical function of the layered low-profile foot in a battery of activities of daily use.