Fit for Life - Engineering Socket Comfort
Author: Jeff Tiessen
With an amputee-centered approach, Quebec-based Ethnocare has innovated a prosthetic solution to manage residual limb volume fluctuation for better comfort, stability and limb health for lower extremity amputees.
The product is called Overlay and it’s a transtibial and transfemoral prosthetic device that uses air-based technology to adapt to residual limb volume changes throughout the day. It has a breathable fabric sleeve with an integrated air expansion system to allow users to adjust the fit of their prosthesis without removing it.
Overlay addresses one of the biggest challenges amputees face and that’s maintaining a proper prosthetic fit throughout the day. As the residual limb’s volume fluctuates, amputees often have to remove their prosthesis to add or remove prosthetic socks multiple times a day. It’s an uncomfortable and inconvenient process. But what Overlay does by improving socket fit is improve comfort, gait, and movement in the socket which reduces the risk of falls. So, it's offering comfort and stability.
Overlay addresses one of the biggest challenges amputees face and that’s maintaining a proper prosthetic fit throughout the day. As the residual limb’s volume fluctuates, amputees often have to remove their prosthesis to add or remove prosthetic socks multiple times a day. It’s an uncomfortable and inconvenient process. But what Overlay does by improving socket fit is improve comfort, gait, and movement in the socket which reduces the risk of falls. So, it's offering comfort and stability.
In an interview with thrive publisher Jeff Tiessen, Ethnocare co-founder Louis-Philippe Garneau shares his personal connection to the product and its benefits for lower extremity amputees. Click below for the full interview.
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