Abstract

  Compliant prosthetic foot is a popular term for all passive prosthesis that are currently preferable by amputee due to their advantage of energy saving, light weight, simple structure and easier usage over the powered counterparts. The key characteristic of this device replies on the elastic deformation of the structure to support its functions. In order to fulfil this property, design and material of the devices are the two most concerns. This paper describes an optimization design method for a prosthetic foot made from carbon fibre. Finite element analyses are carried out to evaluate the mechanical behaviours of the design obtained by the optimization procedure. Prototypes of the device are also fabricated and tested. The characteristics of the optimum prosthetic foot predicted by theory are not only quantitatively verified by experiments but also qualitatively surveyed by trials from the amputee. Results show that the fabricated prototype is capable of bending and compression to store elastic energy and release it to assist in forward propulsion of the body. These characteristics make it more versatile and reduce the impact force on residual limbs.

Keywords: Prosthetic; Compliant Mechanism; Composites; Carbon Fibre; Optimization

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Citation

Citation: Huy-Tuan Pham., et al. “Optimization Design of a Carbon Fibre Prosthetic Foot for Amputee".Acta Scientific Orthopaedics 3.10 (2020): 16-21.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2020 Huy-Tuan Pham., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.