Work

Development of lightweight transtibial prosthetic socket and assessment of biomechanical response with interface stress distribution during gait cycle

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Amputees who lost a limb must depended on prosthetic devices. A lower limb prosthesis is an artificial component designed to replace the missing leg and improve mobility, comfort, stability, and functional performance during walking. In this study, a lightweight prosthetic socket was developed using kenaf fiber reinforced biocomposites and its biomechanical response was investigated in terms of kinematics and kinetics during gait. The angular variations and dynamic forces of both healthy and prosthetic limbs were experimentally analyzed using force plate method under natural body weight conditions. Additionally, the interface pressure between socket and residual limb was evaluated at pressure-sensitive and pressure-tolerance regions using pressure sensor to assess the comfort level of the patient. The results revealed that the developed socket demonstrated improved load-bearing capability, stability, and compatibility during the gait cycle. Furthermore, the prosthetic limb exhibited slightly reduced gait parameters such as cadence, stride length, and walking speed compared to the health limb, primarily due to restricted joint motion. The biomechanical response indicated that, the kinematic response of prosthetic limb in sagittal plane was nearly comparable to the healthy limb while, minor deviations were observed in coronal and transverse planes. The kinetics response of prosthetic limb was found to be optimal with minimal detrimental effects as compared to healthy limb. The pressure distribution between socket-limb interface was maximum in pressure tolerance regions particularly at distal end and tibial end of the stump. Overall, the study demonstrates the feasibility of sustainable natural fiber composites in prosthetic socket design, providing a promising alternative to conventional materials with acceptable biomechanical performance.

Source: Results in Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2026.112186

Authors: Santosh Kumar, Sumit Bhowmik

Institutions: COEP Technological University, National Institute Of Technology Silchar

Language: English

Topic: Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Robotics

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,940