Around 40 million people in the world have amputated a part of their body. In our part of the world a lost limb is often caused by an accident or a consequence of for example diabetes. We also have a widespread access to substitutes, ie prostheses. But prosthetics are only moderately popular. It’s not the prostheses themselves that are problematic, but the socket that is attached to the residual limb. The size of the stump vary over the day, and a socket will eventually result in a poor fit. The pressure can lead to complications, and chafing from friction can cause severe wounds. In other words, optimizing a prosthetic socket is tricky and around 35 percent of the amputees reject their prostheses due to comfort issues.
– www.kth.se
Sensors improve life for amputees
