Design and Evaluation of a HighPerformance, LowCost Prosthetic Foot for Developing Countries

Abstract

A novel, highperformance, cosmetic, rugged, appropriately costed, and massmanufacturable prosthetic foot for use in lowincome countries was designed and field tested. This ruggedized foot was created to accommodate the unique economic, environmental, and cultural requirements for users in India. A previous prototype that enabled ablebodied like gait was modified to include a durable cosmetic cover without altering the tuned stiffness of the overall foot. After undergoing mechanical benchtop testing, the foot was distributed to prosthesis users in India to for at least 5 months. Afterward, participants underwent clinical tests to evaluate walking performance, and additional benchtop testing was performed on the fieldtested feet to identify changes in performance. The ruggedized foot endured 1 × 106 fatigue cycles without failure and demonstrated the desired stiffness properties. Subjects walked significantly faster (0.14 m/s) with the ruggedized foot compared to the Jaipur foot, and the feet showed no visible sign of damage after months of use. Additionally, the fieldtested feet showed little difference in stiffness from a set of unused controls. Anecdotal feedback from the participants indicated that the foot improved their speed and/or walking effort, but may benefit from more degreesoffreedom about the ankle. The results suggest that the foot fulfills its design requirements; however, further field testing is required with more participants over a longer period to make sure the foot is suitable for use in developing countries.