Comparison of the pressure distribution at the stump-socket interface of ischial containment & quadrilateral sockets

The quadrilateral (Quad) socket has been the socket of choice for the transfemoral since the 1950s. It was developed as a result of extensive research work undertaken at the University of California, Berkely and San Francisco at the request of the veterans administration (VA) in USA following the 2nd world war. However, these sockets were mainly designed for maimed but otherwise young and fit amputees, and there arose a doubt regarding whether they are also appropriate to be provided to the aged geriatric amputees which consists most of the today's amputee population. Since the 1970s researchers started to point out the weaknesses of the Quad socket and advocated a newer type of socket which has a bone-locking system by containing the amputee's ischial ramas inside to socket when being worn. This type of socket is called Ischial-ramal containing (IC) socket and there have been many comments heard from researchers and amputees in favour of this newer type of socket This project was designed to provide back up to the possible explanation for these voices to introduce this new type of socket to be more widely available. We looked at the interface pressure distributed of Quad and IC socket for comparison as an index for the comfort level of the amputees wearing those two sockets.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo