Obese B/K patient socket design, suspension??

Obese B/K patient socket design, suspension??

Good evening list members,

I have a below knee female patient who is diabetic. She has been fit with an
Alpha gel locking pin system X-Large 6mm. She was 274 lbs. as of Oct. 99 and
is now 307lbs. She ambulates with the walker but has consistently had to deal
with rotation in the socket, due to the fleshy condition of her limb.

She is now wearing 5-ply of sock over her Alpha and is continuing to get
rotation. Her thigh is SOOO fleshy it is causing the Alpha to roll down over
proximal edge of socket and has cut thru the gel and fabric. Her thigh has
developed a very hard mass above the posterior trimline of the socket, which
her doctor told me today is just a hard area of edema.

I need to get her new liners, because they are shot. And we are going to do a
socket change to tighten up the socket. I would appreciate any ideas or
thoughts to best fit this patients situation. Has anyone tried to sew a y
-strap to the proximal edge of the Alpha and go up to a waist belt?? She is
a sweet lady who has her other leg that is developing ulcers, so we need to
get her comfortable and ambulating.

Thank you for your input and this forum.

Jeff A. Zeller, RTP
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