Article

Adding and removing liquid from socket bladders is a means for people with limb
loss to accommodate residual-limb volume change. We fit 19 people with
transtibial amputation using their regular prosthetic socket with fluid bladders
on the inside socket surface to undergo cycles of bladder liquid addition and
removal. In each cycle, subjects sat, stood, and walked for 90 s with bladder
liquid added, and then sat, stood, and walked for 90 s again with the bladder
liquid removed. The amount of bladder liquid added was increased in each cycle.
We used bioimpedance analysis to measure residual-limb fluid volume. Results
showed that the preferred bladder liquid volume was 16.8 +/- 8.4 mL (mean +/-
standard deviation), corresponding with 1.7% +/- 0.8% of the average socket
volume between the bioimpedance voltage-sensing electrodes. Residual-limb fluid
volume driven out of the residual limb when bladder liquid was added was
typically not recovered upon subsequent bladder liquid removal. Of the 19
subjects, 15 experienced a gradual residual-limb fluid volume loss over the test
session. Care should be taken when implementing adjustable socket technologies in
people with limb loss. Reducing socket volume may accentuate residual-limb fluid
volume loss.

Langue : ANGLAIS