Prosthetic Attachment

Electromagnetic Suspension of Transfemoral Prostheses

Current socket-based methods of prosthetic limb attachment are responsible for the majority of patient-reported problems related to amputation. These sockets use friction or suction with the skin to transmit forces to the residual limb, and this repetitive soft tissue deformation leads to tissue damage, irregular bone growth, and skin damage such as ulcers that could make people unable to wear their device. In this project, we aim to improve prosthetic attachment by transmitting suspension (tension) forces directly to the bone instead of the soft tissues. We hope to achieve this using a ferromagnetic implant attached to the distal end of the residual femur and within a completely close skin envelope (no chronic wound). Outside the body and housed in a new type of socket, an electromagnet is actively controlled to keep the prosthetic leg attached to the body during gait while also not applying high compressive forces to the thigh. We believe this attachment approach will perform better than conventional sockets and be more robust to natural day-to-day changes in residual limb volume.

• Project Lead: Will Flanagan
• Surgical Collaborator: Drs. Nicholas Bernthal and Alexandra Stavrakis (Orthopaedic Surgery, UCLA)
• Project Team: Amin Khatibi, Dr. Thomas J. Hardin, Prof. Jonathan B. Hopkins