Comparative study on prosthetic socket materials
Lifang Ma1, 2, Yaxin Wang1, Yang Liu1, Shizhong Zhang1, Yu Chen1
1School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
2National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, Beijing, China
Prosthetic socket materials must exhibit a good processing performance so that a variety of desirable shapes can easily be formed, thereby enabling more controllable and adjustable socket production process and socket compatibility with the human anatomy and movement mechanics. Additionally, they need to feature high strength and light weight, and must be comfortable for the patient to use. In this study, the properties and application potential of current prosthetic socket materials, such as thermoplastic sheets, low-temperature thermoplastic sheets, silicone-based materials, and resin-based composite materials, were compared. Additionally, the matrix used in resin-based composite materials was investigated by infrared spectroscopy.