Introduction: Prosthetic liners are the intermediary layer between a residual limb and a prosthesis, designed to provide comfort and cushioning on the sensitive residual limb. The standard liners made of urethane and silicone often result in poor breathability and increased perspiration. A woven prosthetic liner could mitigate these effects, as air could circulate more effectively through the gaps in the weave. Certain weaves may also allow added adjustability for residual limbs while keeping a well-fitted prosthetic. An accommodating weave for this purpose is the weave from a Chinese finger trap.
Materials and
Methods: The Chinese finger trap utilizes an interwoven pattern to self-tighten when tension is applied to the ends of the finger trap. Our team intends to apply this interwoven pattern to improve current prosthetic liners. This weave could create a self-tightening fit for amputees to adjust to changes in the residual limb size, while allowing for breathability during heavy loading. Using the modeling software Blender, we were able to create a 3D model of our woven prosthetic liner. We also implemented a double-woven pattern to our Chinese finger trap weave to increase the weight-bearing capacity.
Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: Our progress suggests that we have a realistic approach to improving current prosthetic liner designs, focusing on comfortability, breathability, and adjustability. Utilizing CAD and other 3D creation suites, along with expert advice, we have successfully developed various prototypes to achieve our desired design. Actively, the focus has shifted from designing our prosthetic liner to material selection research. As this liner will be in contact with the user’s skin for extended periods of time, we must ensure that the material of our liner is skin-safe and comfortable. Our team is optimistic and confident that our efforts will improve the quality of life for amputees and spur meaningful advancements in the prosthetics industry.
