PROSTHETIC SOCKETS: TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES - INVASATURE PROTESICHE: LO SVILUPPO TECNOLOGICO AL SERVIZIO DELLE PERSONE CON DISABILITÀ DA AMPUTAZIONE

The socket is the most important part of a prosthesis, because by containing the stump, i.e. the residual part of the amputated limb, it constitutes the interface with the person; if it is not adequate, it can cause injury and pain, leading to a reduced acceptance of the prosthesis and a reduction in autonomy in activities of daily living. A customised socket that fits the patient perfectly is therefore a fundamental requirement for successful prosthetic-rehabilitation treatment. Nevertheless, today there is no univocal way of constructing the socket, which often depends on the skill and experience of the orthopaedic technician: there are several options for making the mould of the stump, for the choice of materials with which it will be constructed, and for the alignment with the other elements that make up the prosthetic device. It is therefore not uncommon to have to make several versions before arriving at the one that most satisfies the patient, with considerable stress for the person who has to wear it and an increase in production time and costs. This is why the Centro Protesi Inail is developing innovative techniques through applied research projects in collaboration with important scientific partners at national (University of Padua) and international level (Northwestern University of Chicago and Minneapolis Veterans Administration Health Care System).