Data-driven Approach Improves Speed And Consistency Of Prosthetic Leg Fitting

Researchers person developed a new, data-driven measurement of fitting prosthetic legs which could lead to amended fitting prosthetics, successful little clip and astatine a little cost.

The exertion has been developed by Radii Devices and nan University of Southampton, and nan results of an NHS proceedings person been published coming [22 August 2025] successful JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology.

The study shows that below-the-knee prosthetic limbs designed utilizing nan caller attack were arsenic comfortable connected mean arsenic those created by highly skilled prosthetists, but pinch much accordant results. Crucially, nan caller method generates a basal creation instantly.

Finding nan correct fit

The squad down nan package dream that data-driven 'socket' designs – nan relationship betwixt nan personification and their prosthetic – will trim nan time, number of iterations and number of appointments it takes to get astatine a prosthetic limb nan diligent is comfortable with. This would not only amended patients' acquisition but could besides thief to clear waiting lists.

Prosthetic sockets are personalised to make judge nan prosthetic is comfortable, functional, and safe to locomotion on. The socket bears nan person's full assemblage weight and move forces erstwhile walking, truthful it needs to beryllium cautiously balanced to administer unit without damaging limb insubstantial aliases creating discomfort.

Traditionally, a prosthetist makes a plaster formed of nan limb and reshapes it to nutrient a socket which achieves nan correct balance, producing proceedings versions earlier settling connected a definitive one. Today, galore prosthetists usage CAD (computer-aided design) package successful a akin way. Importantly, this creates a integer grounds of nan creation process, which nan squad were capable to utilize.

Using information to get astatine a personalized design

Radii Devices Ltd, a spin-out institution from nan University of Southampton, has developed package which draws connected information from erstwhile prosthetic socket designs to make recommendations for nan astir comfortable socket style utilizing a 3D scan of nan patient's residual limb.

By analyzing hundreds of erstwhile prosthetic designs, we've been capable to place trends betwixt different diligent characteristics, specified arsenic nan style and size of nan residual limb, and successful socket shapes.

We tin past scan a caller patient's residual limb and make a personalised creation proposal based connected features that person been successful for akin patients successful nan past."

Dr. Joshua Steer, Founder and CEO of Radii Devices and co-author of nan study

To trial nan effectiveness of nan data-driven socket designs, nan squad carried retired a study pinch patients from 3 NHS prosthetic rehabilitation centres. Seventeen patients were fixed a proceedings socket designed by a prosthetist and 1 designed utilizing nan caller method. They were past asked to comparison nan comfortableness of nan sockets, giving them a people retired of ten, and interviewed astir their acquisition of socket fitting.

The study recovered location was nary quality successful nan comfortableness scores connected average, and little variety successful comfortableness successful nan data-driven socket designs. Several participants preferred nan fresh of nan data-driven socket creation erstwhile asked for feedback, and had it turned into their definitive prosthetic.

Working pinch prosthetists

The creation recommendations aren't intended to beryllium utilized connected their ain successful objective practice. Instead, nan squad envision prosthetists moving pinch nan exertion to further heighten nan diligent experience.

Alex Dickinson, Professor of Prosthetics Engineering astatine nan University of Southampton, helped to create nan caller method and nan grounds guidelines down it. He said: "3D scans tin show america a batch astir nan style of nan residual limb from nan outside, but they don't show america what is going connected nether nan skin. Only a highly skilled prosthetist tin place things for illustration bony spurs and neuromas, and cognize really to tweak designs to debar causing symptom aliases harm astatine these delicate areas.

"We developed nan data-driven socket creation attack to prevention prosthetists' clip by giving them a coagulated guidelines to activity from truthful they tin usage their expertise wherever it is astir valuable, successful making precise adaptations tailored to their patients' circumstantial needs. The method efficaciously helps prosthetists to study from each other."

Nearly 100 group person now had a prosthetic limb designed this way, crossed aggregate centres successful nan UK and nan USA.

The task squad included physiotherapists, wellness scientists, and package engineers.

Maggie Donovan-Hall, Professor of Psychology successful Prosthetics and Orthotics astatine nan University of Southampton and co-author of nan study, said: "This study was designed to trial nan 'worst-case' usage of data-driven socket designs, pinch nary further input from prosthetists.

"The truth they performed truthful good successful these circumstances is some astonishing and encouraging, but nan existent worth of this instrumentality is to springiness nan prosthetist a starting creation quickly, meaning they tin walk overmuch much of their clip moving pinch their diligent connected perfecting nan much complex, personalised aspects of nan design. This is what prosthetists walk years learning and is astir important to their patients' experience."

The last shape of this study is now underway, wherever nan package interface is being developed pinch clinicians to supply them nan astir effective measurement to incorporated data-driven socket designs into their practice.

Evidence-Generated Sockets for Transtibial Prosthetic Limbs Compared With Conventional Computer-Aided Designs: A Multiple-Methods Study From nan Patient's Perspective is published successful JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology.

The activity was supported by Innovate UK, nan University of Southampton's Institute for Life Sciences, Orthopaedic Research UK, and nan Royal Academy of Engineering.