Lightweight prostheses for bilateral below-elbow amputees.

In view of the anticipated activity of the patient and working environment, lightweight prostheses were designed for an adult female, bilateral below-elbow (BE) amputee at NIRTAR to provide the greatest degree of function. The prostheses were fabricated using lightweight materials and new techniques. Depending on the stump length there were two different types of lightweight prostheses designed and successfully used, (1) an endoskeletal BE prosthesis and (2) an exoskeletal BE prosthesis. After periodic follow-up and evaluation the function of the prostheses was found to be most satisfactory. By reducing the weight considerably compared to other available alternatives, it is more likely that the amputee will make use of the prostheses to efficiently perform various activities. The new prosthesis designs may counteract the high rejection rate of old conventional ones and the principle may be applied to the fabrication of all BE prostheses.