PROSTHETIC SOCKET

Abstract

A prosthetic socket, comprising a base for distal connection means for attaching a prosthesis component to the prosthetic socket and comprising at least one side wall, which extends from the base in the proximal direction and at least partially extends around a stump to be held in the prosthetic socket, and at least one support for fastening the side wall to the base being arranged on the base.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A prosthetic socket to receive an amputation stump, socket comprising: a base; two supports arranged on the base and extending medially and laterally from the base in a proximal direction; shell elements associated with each support, the shell elements being at least partially flexible, each shell element being connected to one of the supports, each shell element enclosing a part of the stump; a tensioning system arranged circumferentially and configured to act upon the shell elements to compress the stump in at least a distal zone and a proximal zone of the socket.

18. The prosthetic socket according to claim 17, wherein at least the supports and the shell elements associated with them are configured as industrially prefabricated parts.

19. The prosthetic socket according to claim 17, wherein the base of the socket is designed as a cap and is configured to enclose a distal region of the stump, and the shell elements are configured to enclose substantially cylindrical or conical regions of the stump.

20. The prosthesis socket according to claim 17, wherein the shell elements are connectable in different positions, continuously or in predetermined positions, with the associated supports in a force-locking or form-locking manner to provide an adjustable length for the socket.

21. The prosthesis socket according to claim 17, wherein the supports can be shortened in the proximal direction and the shell elements associated with the supports can be shortened in a distal direction and subsequently connected non-positively or positively in order to adapt a length of the socket to a length of the residual limb.

22. The prosthetic socket according claim 17, further comprising a device configured to fix a distal end of a prosthetic liner provided in the socket base.

23. The prosthetic socket according to claim 22, wherein the device for fixing the distal end of the prosthesis liner comprises a magnetic closure device.

24. The prosthetic socket according to claim 17, wherein the shell elements overlap each other.

25. The prosthetic socket according to claim 17, wherein the tensioning system comprises at least one cable, cable guide, spool, and hand wheel to tension the cable for each of the distal zone and the proximal zone.

26. The prosthetic socket accordingly to claim 25, wherein the tensioning system is positioned circumferentially on the shell elements.

27. The prosthetic socket according to claim 17, wherein the shell elements are connected non-positively or positively at each support.

28. The prosthetic socket according to claim 17, wherein the tensioning system applies a circumferential force to the shell elements.

29. A prosthetic socket to receive an amputation stump, socket comprising: a base; first and second supports arranged on the base and extending medially and laterally from the base in a proximal direction; a first shell element connected to the first support and a second shell element connected to the second support, each shell element enclosing a part of the stump; a tensioning system arranged circumferentially on the shell elements to apply a force to the shell element, the shell elements applying a compression force to the stump.

30. The prosthetic socket according to claim 29, wherein at least the supports and the shell elements associated with them are configured as industrially prefabricated parts.

31. The prosthetic socket according to claim 29, wherein the base of the socket is designed as a cap and is configured to enclose a distal region of the stump, and the shell elements are configured to enclose substantially cylindrical or conical regions of the stump.

32. The prosthesis socket according to claim 29, wherein the shell elements are connectable in different positions, continuously or in predetermined positions, with the associated supports in a force-locking or form-locking manner to provide an adjustable length for the socket.

33. The prosthesis socket according to claim 29, wherein the supports can be shortened in the proximal direction and the shell elements associated with the supports can be shortened in a distal direction and subsequently connected non-positively or positively in order to adapt a length of the socket to a length of the residual limb.

34. The prosthetic socket according claim 29, further comprising a device configured to fix a distal end of a prosthetic liner is provided in the socket base.

35. The prosthetic socket according to claim 34, wherein the device for fixing the distal end of the prosthesis liner comprises a magnetic closure device.

36. The prosthetic socket according to claim 29, wherein the shell elements are at least partially flexible and are configured to overlap each other.

37. The prosthetic socket according to claim 29, wherein the tensioning system comprises a plurality of cables, cable guides, spools, and hand wheels to tension the cables.

38. The prosthetic socket accordingly to claim 37, wherein the tensioning system is positioned circumferentially on the shell elements.

39. The prosthetic socket according to claim 29, wherein the first shell element and second element are connected non-positively or positively to the first and second supports, respectively.

40. The prosthetic socket according to claim 29, wherein the tensioning system applies a circumferential force to the shell elements.

Description

[0020] Below, embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by means of the enclosed figures. The figures show:

[0021] FIG. 1: the exploded view,

[0022] FIG. 2: a schematic side view in the unassembled state, and

[0023] FIG. 3: a prosthetic socket in the finally assembled state.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a prosthetic socket 1, which has a base 10, to which two side wall components 21, 22 are releasably fastened. In the assembled and worn state, the two side wall components 21, 22 extend completely around the stump, which is not shown, and form a side wall 20 surrounding the stump. In an alternative embodiment, the side wall 20 can also be designed as a single part and can have either a closed cross-section or an open cross-section.

[0025] In the illustrated embodiment, the base 10 has, at the distal end thereof, a dimensionally stable cap 11, to the distal side of which connection means, which are not shown, for a further prosthesis component, such as a prosthetic knee joint, can be fastened. Said dimensionally stable cap 11 serves as a resting point for the end of the stump, which is not shown, and has at least one retaining device 14 for fastening or securing the stump or the liner worn on a stump to the prosthetic socket 1. In the illustrated embodiment, said retaining device 14 is designed as a hook-and-loop fastener component. In an alternative embodiment, other interlocking devices or a magnet securing means can be installed in order to secure the distal end of the liner to the base 10 and thus to the prosthetic socket by means of corresponding interlocking elements or ferromagnetic components.

[0026] Two supports 40, which are designed as rails, extend from the dimensionally stable cap 10 in the proximal direction. When the prosthetic socket 1 is worn, the supports 40 are positioned on the medial side and the lateral side of the stump and can have either the same length or different lengths, a greater length preferably being provided on the lateral side. Through-bores 45, as interlocking elements for fastening the side wall components 21, 22, are arranged within the supports 40 designed as rails. The through-bores 45 can be provided with a screw thread and are arranged one after the other at a defined spacing in the longitudinal extent of the supports 40. The laterally arranged support 40 is foldably arranged on the base 10 by means of a hinge 13, and the medial support 40 is formed integrally on the distal cap 41, so that an L-shaped, rigid main body is formed. Besides a pivotable mounting of the medial support 40, the medial support 40 can also be slidably arranged on the base 10 in order to enable adjustment of the stump width in the distal region. In principle, it is also possible to make both supports 40 foldable or also to rigidly arrange the medial support 40 on the dimensionally stable cap 11 or form the medial support 40 with the dimensionally stable cap 11. Also, more than two supports 40 can be formed or arranged on the base.

[0027] The side wall components 21, 22 and thus the entire side wall 20 are releasably fastened to the base 10. For this purpose, guides 23, 24 for the supports 40 are fastened to the outsides of the side wall components 21, 22. The guides 23, 24 are designed as rail receptacles, which are designed in correspondence with the rail-type designs of the supports 40 and can receive the same in said rail receptacles. The guides 23, 24 can be C-shaped, in which case the cross-section of the guides 23, 24 either permits lateral insertion of the supports 40 or has roof legs directed toward each other so that the supports 40 can be inserted into the corresponding guides 23, 24 only in the longitudinal extent. The side walls of the guide 23, 24 can also be inclined toward each other so that the supports 40 are fixed both in the medial direction and in the lateral direction but are still guided in the guides 23, 24 in such a way that the supports 40 can be slid in the longitudinal extent of the supports 40.

[0028] Bores having internal screw threads 25 are arranged in the guides 23, 24 in correspondence with the through-bores 45 in the supports 40, which internal screw threads 25 are arranged one after the other at intervals in the longitudinal extent, at which intervals said internal screw threads 25 are aligned with the through-bores 45. The side wall components 21, 22 are each connected to the associated support 40 by means of interlocking elements 42 in the form of screws. For this purpose, the supports 40 are inserted into the guides 23, 24 until the desired length is reached. The through-bores 45 and the internal screw threads 25 within the guides 23, 24 are aligned with each other and the screws 42 are pushed through and fixed. An interlocking, releasable fastening of the side wall 20 to the base 10 is thereby achieved. The through-bores 45 can also be designed as elongate holes in order to enable quasi-continuous adjustment of the position of the side wall components 21, 22 relative to the base 10. An elongate hole extending over the entire length can also be formed so that, besides an interlocking fixing of the side wall 20 on the supports 40, the longitudinal slidability along the guides 23, 24 is blocked in a clamping manner by means of the screws 42 and a washer 43.

[0029] In the distal region of the side wall components 21, 22, markings 26 and material weakening points 27 are applied oriented transversely to the longitudinal extent so that the total length can be shortened if necessary. The material weakening points 27 can extend over the entire periphery of the side wall component 21, 22; in the case of a single-piece design of the side wall 20, completely. The markings 26 are preferably aligned with each other at uniform intervals and can also be provided with a scale in order to facilitate length adaptation. Corresponding markings 46 and material weakening points 47 are arranged on the supports 40, preferably at the proximal ends thereof, and enable individual adaptability of the length of the whole prosthetic socket 1.

[0030] The side wall components 20, 21 form, as the side wall 20, a proximal socket portion, and the base 10 together with the supports 40 forms a distal socket portion, which socket portions are designed and arranged for longitudinal sliding relative to each other and fastening to each other, in such a way that said socket portions can be adjusted and fixed relative to each other continuously or discretely. By shortening the distal socket portion in the form of the base 10 and/or the proximal socket portion in the form of the side wall 20, a reduction of the socket length can be achieved, whereby it is possible to use industrially prefabricated socket parts in such a way that a prefabricated socket can be adapted to individual stump lengths. The desired load on the stump end can also be adapted and adjusted.

[0031] A tightening device 50, by means of which the socket width can be varied, for example by means of a lace-cable-belt system, is arranged on the lateral side wall component 21. Because of the two-part design of the side wall 20 in the illustrated embodiment and the foldable mounting of the lateral side wall component 21 on the base 10, it is possible and necessary to fix the position of the side wall components 21, 22 relative to each other in the peripheral direction. Because the base 10 can be folded and thus the prosthetic socket 1 can be widened, it is possible to facilitate the entry into the prosthetic socket. It is also thereby possible to arrange or form interlocking elements 28 on the inside of the side wall, which interlocking elements impede or prevent movement in the proximal direction. For example, a hook-and-loop fastener, a climbing skin, or a surface structuring, which interlockingly engages in a corresponding structure on the liner, can be arranged or formed on the inside of the side wall 20. By means of the folding-open motion, a peeling operation or disengagement can occur so that a corresponding separation of the prosthetic socket 1 and the liner can be easily accomplished.

[0032] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the side wall components 21, 22 are designed differently. The medial side wall component 22 extends over more than half of the total periphery, here of the total periphery, while the lateral side wall component 21 is dimensioned in such a way that there is a periphery supplementation, so that the prosthesis stump can be completely surrounded. The side edges of the side wall components 21, 22 can overlap with each other in the worn and mutually fastened state and thereby allow width adjustment even during wearing, in the case of fluctuations in the stump volume.

[0033] A prosthetic socket 1 before assembly, comprising a base 10 and a side wall 20, is shown in FIG. 2, in which the distal connection means 15 for a prosthesis component, for example in the form of a prosthetic knee joint, are arranged on the distal end of the base 10. The distal connection means 15 is designed as a receptacle of a pyramid adapter.

[0034] The side wall 20 is peripherally closed by means of the tightening device 50. The tightening device 50 is designed as a disk system, as it is known, in the case of which a belt system or cable system 51 can be tightened and relaxed by the rotation of a wheel. Width control can be accomplished by tightening the belt system or cable system 51.

[0035] In order to mount the side wall 20 on the base, the supports 40 are inserted into the guides. In the embodiment shown, only one guide 24 and one support 40 designed as a rail are visible because of the side view from the lateral direction. After the desired position has been reached, the screws 42 are screwed through the through-bores 45 and into the screw threads 25 in the guides 23, 24.

[0036] A finally assembled prosthetic socket 1 is shown in FIG. 3. The distal, dimensionally stable cap 11, the hinge device 13 for the lateral support 40, and the side wall 20, composed of a lateral side wall component 21 and a medial side wall component 22, are clear. In the embodiment shown, the tightening device 50 has two rotational mechanisms, by means of which the effective length of two cables 51 can be changed. The cables or bands 51 are arranged on the opposite side edges of the medial side wall component 22 and, by means of a shortening, cause a periphery reduction. By opposite rotation of the tightening devices 50, the periphery of the prosthetic socket can be enlarged. The lateral side wall component 21 is releasably fixed to the base 10 by means of four screws 42 in total.

[0037] The screws 42 are fed through the through-bores 45 in the support 40 and screwed into the internal screw threads 25 within the guide 23. An additional clamping effect results from the washer 43.