Composite blades for lower extremity amputees

Abstract

The running blades used by the amputees are an advanced type of prosthesis or prosthetic limb that are used as a replacement for a natural leg. The Principle behind the running blades is that it stores kinetic energy from the user’s footsteps as potential energy, like a spring, allowing the user to run and leap. The major prevailing deficiencies of existing prosthesis are excess weight, lack of Indian manufacturers, high cost quoted by foreign manufacturers, lack of awareness of this technology among the local population. The major purpose of the project is to design and develop an affordable composite blade with unique design, which enables normal walking and running easier for the amputees. The methodology of the project includes selection of suitable composite from glass, carbon and hybrid fibers for blade fabrication through material testing, to evaluate the design using finite element analysis (FEA), to fabricate the actual blades and to analyze the walking pattern of the user’s through gait analysis. Gait analysis results show that with blades the participant is able to follow normal gait pattern of initial contact, mid-stance and toe-off as the blade supports normal knee and ankle biomechanics.