A prosthetic leg, or lower limb prosthesis, is an artificial replacement for part or all of your leg. If you can’t use your leg, either because of a birth defect or amputation, you might use a prosthetic leg to walk.
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A leg prosthesis can replace as much of your leg as you need, from your foot, ankle and shin to your knee, thigh and hip. It can offer you greater mobility and the chance to live a more active lifestyle.
Prosthetic limbs are assistive devices to enhance your mobility and independence. They mimic the functions of a human limb to help you do certain things better than you could without them.
Using a prosthetic limb can also help you maintain your overall musculoskeletal health. Making your different side more usable allows you to distribute your body’s workload more evenly across both sides.
Modern prosthetic legs are made of strong but lightweight materials, like carbon fiber or fiberglass, titanium or aluminum. They also have some softer parts, like foam cushioning and silicone sleeves.
The moving parts at the joints might include mechanical springs and gears or computer microprocessors. Some prosthetic legs include hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, which make movement smoother.
Prosthetic legs can look different ways. Some are high-tech and look like robot limbs. Others are more low-tech and skeletal-looking. You can also get different types of “skins” to cover your prosthesis.
Some people customize their prosthetic legs with fun fabrics, logos or tattoos. Others prefer a low-profile look that’s custom-painted to look like their natural legs. Most cosmetic covers are removable.
Different types of prosthetic legs replace different parts of your leg. You might need a prosthesis with an ankle joint, a knee joint and/or a hip joint. Different types also have different mechanisms at the joints.
Some prosthetics are purely mechanical, while others have computerized parts. Some move in limited ways, and others move in many ways. Some are designed for particular sports or other activities.
Different types of prostheses are available for different types of lower limb amputations, including:
Your limb deficit or amputation level will determine the level of prosthesis you need. In general, an above-the-knee prosthetic leg is a more complex device than a below-the-knee prosthetic leg.
One difference is the knee joint. If your prosthesis is below the knee, it only needs a shin, ankle and foot, which may or may not be flexible. If it’s above the knee, it’ll need to include a functioning knee joint.
Your knee joint is central to the mechanics of walking. It bears much of your weight and affects your stability and balance on various terrains. It also determines whether your leg can run, bike or swim.
The attachment part of the prosthesis also needs to be more sophisticated, as the prosthesis must attach to a shorter lever arm. Generally, the higher the amputation level, the trickier it is to attach the prosthesis.
The joints in your prosthetic leg may be mechanical or bionic, which means they include computer microprocessors. These microprocessors enable the joints to automatically adjust to different terrain.
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Both types have pros and cons. Mechanical legs tend to be more durable, lightweight and affordable than bionic legs. They aren’t “smart,” but you can use them for basic walking and sitting down.
Bionic legs use microprocessors to provide real-time feedback about how you’re using them. They adjust to different activities and environments more like a natural leg would. Some are also programmable.
Both mechanical and bionic legs may include pneumatic or hydraulic components (compressed air or water). These provide adjustable resistance while walking, which allows for a more natural gait pattern.
Prosthetic legs have several components, which are sometimes interchangeable. When you and your prosthetist design your custom prosthesis, you’ll discuss each of these components.
You might benefit from a prosthetic leg if you’ve had a lower limb amputation or have a congenital limb difference that makes walking difficult. However, not everyone benefits equally from a prosthetic leg.
Many factors can influence how much you’re likely to benefit from a prosthetic leg, and what complications you may face along the way. Before recommending one, your provider will want to know:
Getting a new prosthetic limb and learning to use it is a huge undertaking. It will take time, patience and practice on your part. It may be frustrating at times, and you’ll need to manage your expectations.
Here’s a brief breakdown of the steps involved:
Body-powered prostheses are useful tools that can restore the ability to pick up and grasp objects and assist the user’s sound hand. Body-powered partial hand devices can help restore function when the finger loss is as the PIP or MCP level. For people with higher amputation levels, movements of the upper arm, shoulder and chest are captured by the harness and cable system, and used to open and close the hook or hand, similar to how a bicycle handbrake system works.
Movements of the upper arm, shoulder and chest are captured by the harness and cable system, and used to open and close the hook or hand, similar to how a bicycle handbrake system works. As users grow accustomed to the feeling of varying tension on the cable, they may experience an improved sense of the position of the limb and the degree of opening on the terminal device. Hooks can be made of aluminum, steel, or titanium and can be rubber lined for better gripping. The grip force of a voluntary opening hook is determined by the number of rubber bands holding the hook closed.
Many amputees like the durability and basic function of body-powered prostheses and find them particularly useful for working outdoors or in rugged or wet environments. A custom silicone interface can improve user comfort and is available in a wide range of colors.
Myoelectric upper limb technologies use electrical signals generated by muscles in the residual limb to control the movements of a prosthesis. When the user contracts certain muscles, surface electrodes in the socket detect the muscle signals and send them to a controller, which triggers tiny, battery-powered motors to move the fingers, hand, wrist or elbow.
The advantages of myoelectric prostheses include more intuitive control of the prosthesis, increased grip strength, access to multiple grip patterns and more natural hand movements.
Myoelectric technologies are available for all levels of upper limb loss.
The LUKE arm, by Mobius Bionics, is the most advanced prosthesis on the market and the only commercially-available prosthesis with a powered shoulder (up to 10 powered joints), allowing shoulder-level amputees to reach over their head.
Our Arm Dynamics clinicians conducted one of the first ever civilian test-fittings of the LUKE arm. Our patient, Steve Brown, was amazed by the LUKE arm’s intuitive motion-control interface and its unique ability to reach out and grasp things above the shoulder. According to Steve, the Luke Arm, “…will be life changing for the future of those with upper limb loss.”
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