Comparing Maximum Lifespan of a New Flexible Keel versus Non-Articulated Prosthetic Feet

Abstract

The number of amputees worldwide is increasing for different reasons, such as diseases, accidents, and acts of violence. In developing countries, conventional prosthetic feet like the Solid Ankle Cushion Heel (SACH) foot are commonly used because of their affordability, ease of maintenance, and use. To improve the features of the SACH foot, a new prosthetic foot was developed that resembles it but has a flexible keel. The new foot consists of a wooden keel, carbon fiber reinforced polymer support, and a flexible filler material, silicone rubber, that provides flexibility to the foot's movement. The process of pouring liquid silicone rubber and rice husk ash into a metal mold. The new foot was tested for fatigue foot life and dorsiflexion angle using devices such as the Fatigue Foot Tester and dorsiflexion tester to estimate its expected life. The outcomes were relative to those of the SACH feet, and it was found that the new foot has a better fatigue life of 510,382 steps compared to 473,241 steps for the SACH foot. Additionally, the new foot has a higher dorsiflexion angle of 5.7° compared to 2.3° for the SACH foot.

Keywords

• Dorsiflexion
• Fatigue
• Flexible keel
• Prosthetic foot
• SACH