LOWER LIMB PROSTHESIS HAVING REMOVABLE RIGID AMPUTATION STUMP DRESSING

摘要

LOWER LIMB PROSTHESIS HAVING REMOVABLE RIGID AMPUTATION STUMP DRESSING A lower limb prosthesis assembly for immediate post-operative applications which includes a weight-bearing prosthetic device in conjunction with a removable, size-adjustable rigid dressing for placement around a patent's amputation stump. The weight-bearing prosthetic device includes a foot-ankle assembly attached to an adjustable endoskeletal shank having adjustment means, medial and lateral uprights extending upwardly from the endoskeletal shank, and an open ended quadrilateral thigh socket attached to and located between the medial and lateral uprights. The thigh socket includes a proximal ischial weight-bearing shelf for supporting the patient without contacting the open wound of the amputation stump. The rigid dressing includes a substantially stump-shaped rigid cast portion for placement around the stump which is openended at the top and shaped to enclose and secure around the stump at its bottom to apply mild compression for suppressing edema of the stump. The cast portion has (a) two vertical half shells wherein each half shell has two vertically-separatable overlapping sections which are slidably adjustable for adaption to different size stumps, (b) sizing means on the cast portion for adjusting it in size circumferentially and for holding the overlapping sections together, and (c) locking means for securing the two half shells together around the amputation stump. The invention is intended to be used immediately after an amputation, as early as the first post-operative day. This provides a prosthetic device which is prefabricated, adjustable, economical and easy to use without creating any problems in the healing of the terminal surgical wound.