Prosthetics
Throughout the 2019 Summer, I had the invaluable opportunity to intern at Hanger Clinic, a prominent organization that specializes in the creation of prosthetics and the fitting of a diverse array of braces and orthotics for patients in need. My experience began with shadowing the two skilled prosthetists, observing them not only as they met with patients to assess their needs but also as they diligently worked in the lab on various projects. As the internship progressed, I was entrusted with increased responsibilities, which included casting molds and taking charge of shaping and smoothing the plaster model to ensure a perfect fit. By the conclusion of my internship, I found myself actively interacting with and assisting patients, while also successfully constructing an entire below-the-knee prosthesis independently, marking a significant achievement in my hands-on learning experience.
Preview of Prosthesis Creation
Casting and Forming Socket
Finalizing the Socket
The first image on the right conveys multiple steps. It began with placing a few liners down and then layering the carbon fiber down over that. Depending on the patient one can do one to three layers of carbon fiber in order to increase strength, however, it does limit the flexibility of the socket. Next, I placed a plastic liner over the carbon fiber and vacuumed sealed it. I proceeded to pour an even layer of resin and waited as it hardened with the carbon fiber. The next image is once the socket had hardened and the interim vacuum system had been installed. The rest of the process is just assembling the socket with the pylon and foot. Then it's ready for the patient to try on and often minor adjustments need to be made to the height or foot angle but after that the patients walks out the door with a brand new leg.
Before I can make a plaster model I have to take a mold of the patient's residual limb. This process can be done one of two ways, either by scanning the limb and having that image generated into a model offsite or using the traditional method of making a plaster mold with the patient and then creating the plaster model from that. For this I used the traditional method because it is much quicker and from there created my model and shaped it to make sure the socket came out perfect. I then vacuum formed the base layer of the socket.