FW: Want smaller prosthetic ankle RESPONSES

FW: Want smaller prosthetic ankle RESPONSES

Randy McFarland

3/8/2005

ORIGINAL QUESTION
  We have a patient who wants her prosthetic ankle to be two inches
smaller than what's available with the foot shell for her Variflex foot.
Any suggestions?
Randy McFarland, CPO
Fullerton, CA

Thanks to those who sent the following
RESPONSES
Cut off the top half of the foot shell and shape the entire ankle out of
foam.

Take and hog out a pedilin Otto Bock foot bed to fit the flex foot. Glue
it on, then shape foam over the foot ankle and calf. This will allow
you to get the smaller ankle that you are looking for. We have been
doing it for years.

SOMETIMES WHEN THE FOOT SHELLS SEEM TOO LARGE FOR ANKLE BLENDING TRY
SETTING UP THE SHELL LIKE A SYMES AND FOAM IN THE ANKLE. AFTERWARDS
COVER WITH A PRS OR SIMILAR COSMESIS.ANOTHER OPTION IS TO USE A DIFFERNT
FOOT LIKE ONE OF THE FREEDOM FEET. GOOD LUCK PLEASING HER.

change to freedom fs 2000 and you can make small ankle

I have done a lot of these kind of feet and had to reduce the ankle
size. I cut the foot shell behind the toes on top and follow your cut
down each side to mid point of the foot shell then go all around. Use a
very sharp knife or cast saw, It ends up looking like a Endolite foot.
Then fill in with Friddles foam from knit-rite. You can do a one wrap
application or do a two wrap.
Bevel one edge of foam use 3m 77 on both foot and foam, let dry 10
minutes. Put foam in oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes till soft. Wrap
around prosthesis go left to right and wrap an ace bandage over foam to
tighten then put a plastic bag over prosthesis while foam is still warm
and induce vacuum till it cools about 15 minutes. You now can shape.

this might sound too simple ....finish it off without the foot
shell...add a sole plate of leather or sole rubber and then finish off
with the flex foam to the desired shape. pt might find the foot a little
more flexible since the foot cover is gone but re alignment can sort
that out.

Cut down on the sides and front of the foot shell to look somewhat like
the endolite foot.
Then fill in with foam and grind to desired measurements. This would
void the warranty of the foot shell.