Questions about "shower leg" prosthesis

Bill Lifford

Description

Title:

Questions about "shower leg" prosthesis

Creator:

Bill Lifford

Date:

9/22/1999

Text:

Hello colleagues and list-friends:

A gentleman with whom I've been working for some time is a
bilateral transtibial amputee. His residual limbs are quite
bony, and he's currently wearing PTB-SC's with silipos gel socks
(with which he's quite happy).

Anyway, he finally convinved his insurance company to approve a
pair of shower legs, claiming that his ability to perform his
ADL's was severely limited without them.

My question is: What componentry would be most appropriate for
a water prosthesis? I'm assuming that an older-style latex
sleeve would be a good start.... has anyonne tried using an
Alpha-type 3S system with pin for such use? Are the components
all aluminum and therefore rust-proof? Or would corrosion ruin
the function of the shuttle locks? Also, would frequent washing
ruin the liners?

Also, how many types of feet are available that have no heel
height whatsoever? Is a post-op foot appropriate for this type
of use? How resistant are the feet towards water, soap, etc?

How light are the hollowed-out exoskeletal designs compared to an
endo system (or even the Endo-flex)? Is it really preferable to
use one over the other?

Any advice on this topic would be extremely helpful. Thank you
in advance!

Bill Lifford, C.P.

                          

Citation

Bill Lifford, “Questions about "shower leg" prosthesis,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 22, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/213153.