Ankle-foot prosthesis with articulated human bone endoskeleton: force-deflection and fatigue study.
The durability and function of three ankle-foot prostheses fabricated using a naturally articulated, fresh cadaveric human bone endoskeleton set in a fiber reinforced rubber shell were studied. Radiographic and force-deflection analyses before and after cyclic dorsiflexion for 5,000, 100,000, and 3 million cycles revealed no structural or functional changes. The endoskeleton foot compared favorably with the Jaipur ankle-foot prosthesis. It is concluded that formalin-fixed fresh foot bones with intact articulations obtained from cadaveric or surgically amputated limbs are suitable for use in ankle-foot prostheses because they withstand prolonged use without functional or structural deterioration.
Department of Surgery, Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
S G
SG
Kabra
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R
Narayanan
D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000842:Ankle; D016512:Ankle Injuries; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002102:Cadaver; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005528:Foot; D018409:Foot Injuries; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design