Skin Saver
Chris L Johnson
Description
Collection
Title:
Skin Saver
Creator:
Chris L Johnson
Date:
11/24/1997
Text:
I have had a very favorable journey with the Alpha liner. I am a 6-7
BKA, and wear one full length for comfort and better suspension. As some
of you may recall, I posted a message on how I deal with skin problems
with any liner of this type. I've come across another little trick I'd
like to pass on.
I've been framing an addition to my shop and colder weather has come to
Michigan. I'm into thermal underwear when I work out side. I usually
cut the leg of the thermals back to just below knee length so my repeated
donnings and doffings of the leg via my zippered pants are not hindered
by the thermals. As an experiment, I started tucking the excess thermal
leg length carefully under the top 3 of my alpha as a test to see if the
skin problems I sometimes experience at the proximal brim of liners could
be lessened without compromising suspension. I'm happy to report that
was the case.
If any of you have patients who experience this problem and are therefore
missing out on the - in my opinion - vastly superior padding of the Alpha
(I use a 9mm), this little trick can be imitated in some way other than
thermals. My thermals are a thin, tight-knit material not so prone to
passing air and therefore lessening suspension sealing. I would also not
take the cloth to any lower than the proximal edge of the patella. I
recall a Lycra-like material I used over a TEC urethane suspension sleeve
on a previous leg. That would likely work well for this application.
Chris (CJ) Johnson
Director of Engineering,
College Park Industries, Inc.
(810) 294-7950 (at CPI), (616) 664-4173 (home office)
<Email Address Redacted>
BKA, and wear one full length for comfort and better suspension. As some
of you may recall, I posted a message on how I deal with skin problems
with any liner of this type. I've come across another little trick I'd
like to pass on.
I've been framing an addition to my shop and colder weather has come to
Michigan. I'm into thermal underwear when I work out side. I usually
cut the leg of the thermals back to just below knee length so my repeated
donnings and doffings of the leg via my zippered pants are not hindered
by the thermals. As an experiment, I started tucking the excess thermal
leg length carefully under the top 3 of my alpha as a test to see if the
skin problems I sometimes experience at the proximal brim of liners could
be lessened without compromising suspension. I'm happy to report that
was the case.
If any of you have patients who experience this problem and are therefore
missing out on the - in my opinion - vastly superior padding of the Alpha
(I use a 9mm), this little trick can be imitated in some way other than
thermals. My thermals are a thin, tight-knit material not so prone to
passing air and therefore lessening suspension sealing. I would also not
take the cloth to any lower than the proximal edge of the patella. I
recall a Lycra-like material I used over a TEC urethane suspension sleeve
on a previous leg. That would likely work well for this application.
Chris (CJ) Johnson
Director of Engineering,
College Park Industries, Inc.
(810) 294-7950 (at CPI), (616) 664-4173 (home office)
<Email Address Redacted>
Citation
Chris L Johnson, “Skin Saver,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/210122.
