Abstract
A prosthetic socket used by a lower limb amputee should accommodate the patient’s geometry and biomechanical needs. The creation of a geometrically accurate subject-specific finite element model can be used to provide a better understanding of the load transfer between socket and limb. There has been a limited number of finite element studies of trans-femoral sockets with all current models only including the femur and ignoring the pelvis. This study looked to evaluate the effect that including the pelvic bone as well as the femur in a finite element model has on the contact interface between the prosthetic socket and residual limb. This was done by creating a finite element model from a computerised tomography scan of a trans-femoral amputee. This model included three-dimensional geometry, nonlinear material properties and frictional contact between the residual limb and prosthetic socket. It was found that without the pelvic bone the contact pressures peaked at the distal end region of the residual limb (peak of 95 kPa). However by including the pelvic bone the contact pressures were instead concentrated at the ischial loading region (peak of 364 kPa). The shear stresses experienced on the socket-residual limb interface were also simulated. The results obtained in this study can be used to provide more of an understanding of the loading on the residual limb for the design and creation of future trans-femoral sockets.