Available online 3 August 2022

Volume fluctuations cause interface pressure mismatch.

Constant force extrusion for stump may solve interface pressure mismatch.

An adjustable frame-type socket with constant force is designed.

Constant force extrusion of the prosthetic socket is verified by FEA.

Prosthetic socket is the contact interface between the stump and the prosthesis, and also the interface component that transmits forces from the stump to the prosthesis distal. The current prosthetic socket fit is a major factor affecting rehabilitation, especially with the stump volume fluctuations. The main goal of this article is to design an adjustable frame-type prosthetic socket with constant force to adapt to the stump volume fluctuations.

In this paper, an adjustable frame-type prosthetic socket with constant force is designed. The constant force device is designed based on the superelasticity of the shape memory alloy for maintaining constant stump-socket interface stress and automatically adapting to certain volume fluctuations. The constant force extrusion performance of this prosthetic socket was verified and optimized by finite element analysis.

The results suggest that the constant force unit may maintain constant interface stress. According to the optimization results, the shape memory alloy dimensional parameters could be selected according to different requirements.

The adjustable frame-type prosthetic socket allows the user to adjust the socket volume through the cable system and has a large heat dissipation area. The constant force unit maintains constant interface stress and automatically adapts to stump volume fluctuations.

Interface stress

Prosthetic socket

Shape memory alloy

Stump

Superelasticity

Volume fluctuation

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