Memory plastics for prosthetic and orthotic applications.

Shrink forming prosthetic sockets from memory plastics offers several advantages over existing techniques. The manual skill requirement is reduced relative to drapeforming flat sheet while compared with the Rapidform process, the requirement for a purpose built vacuum forming machine is eliminated. Two methods for producing thermoplastic sockets from heat shrinkable preforms are described. One uses established heat shrink technology and crosslinked thermoplastics. The second based on blowmoulding simplifies preform manufacture relative to existing techniques by reducing it to a single stage operation. Shrink formed sockets have been produced for three application areas concerned with the lower limb namely load bearing sockets, flexible ISNY type and rigid transparent check sockets. Static testing has demonstrated the ability of shrink formed, load bearing sockets to surpass Philadelphia Static Load Levels (ISPO, 1978) while fatigue testing has indicated a capability for long service life.