Amputee Aids

There are various aids that you will come across.

PAM Aid
This is the older pneumatic aid that 
fits over the stump and is inflated.

Femoral Walking Aid
The new Femoral Aid is fitted onto the stump 
and is much more like the final leg. 

Legs

 Socket

This is made of a robust plastic material that is formed to fit the contours of your stump. This one is for an above-the-knee prosthesis so the top of the socket is shaped to fit your bottom and the weight transferal is done at that point, you actually sit on the socket, so pressure is not placed on the point of your stump. The knee and leg are bolted to this socket and I have a lever on it to allow me to lock the knee.

Decoration is provided by the grandchildren.

 

 

 

Below-the-Knee amputees have a similar smaller socket to attach the lower leg onto.

 

 

Stability Leg

This joint allows you to walk with a swinging lower leg, but also can be locked if needed when the ground makes you feel unsure.

The foot is attached to a stick called a pylon using a semi-flexing ankle joint.

 

 
Fixed Knee

This type of joint is fixed rigid for walking, but quickly allows you to bend it when you sit down. It is easier to come to terms with initially, but does not give a natural gait when walking.

Once again the joint is attached to a pylon using a semi-flexing ankle joint.

 

 Foot

Yes you will have toes once more.

This foot is fitted with a semi-flexing ankle joint that allows the foot to move a little as you walk along.

 
Suspensions
Above the Knee

       

 

You have to hold the socket onto the stump firmly, so that when you walk you do not get what is called 'pistoning', which is where the stump moves up and down inside the socket. Initially with an above-the-knee socket you will use a Tess belt which is made of a fabric belt that has silicon lining around the socket to keep it in place. (You can see this in the Learning to walk section)

Once the stump has had time to settle and change shape, you can proceed to devices like the Silicon Liner, which fits over the stump and when pushed into the socket creates a vacuum retention using the seal at the bottom. The silicon is about 6mm thick and can be quite warm to wear and skin care becomes a priority.

Another method is to have a new socket made that is a snug fit on the stump and this has a bung in the bottom to allow the air to flow out as the leg is put on. Once in place the bung is fitted and this creates the vacuum retention to hold things in place.
Below the Knee

 

For below-the-knee suspension, you start off with a Juzo Sleeve that fits over the socket and fastens around the upper limb. Once the stump has settled you can progress to silicon liners similar to above for use with a socket or with the mounting point formed into the end of the suspension to fit the leg directly to it. 

Home Aids

Wheelchair

Medicare Enigma XS Alloy Wheelchair

Select a good lightweight chair with the ability to set the wheels back to compensate for the loss of weight. This stops you over-balancing.

Shower Seat

Swivel Bath Shower Seat

I selected this type of support rather than a bath-board as it appears and feels much safer. I can rotate it once I have transferred from my chair without any risk of it slipping off the edges of the bath. Balancing is easier despite the loss of a limb and it is also easy to remove from the bath making the bath suitable for able-bodied people.

 
Commode

A simple frame/seat that contains a toilet container. It can be difficult to get to the toilet quickly at night and placing one of these next to your bed can be of great value. I found initially I needed it a lot, but twelve months on I use it rarely, but I have it 'just in case'

 Hand Rails

I have fitted two of these into the toilet to aid when getting up and it also gives me something to hold onto while I attend to my personal hygiene. They are easily fitted with wall plugs and screws and are relatively inexpensive to buy.
Bath Lift

You may be able to raise yourself out of the bath, but be careful as your foot tends to slip. A friend found this Bellavita Bathlift very useful and it is portable so that it can be taken on holiday. It is run from rechargable batteries in the hand control and cost less than £300 from just-good-prices

 

 

 Gloves

A good pair of gloves is worth the weight in gold. Cycling gloves do the job nicely and have extra leather padding on the palms. You can get them a lot cheaper these days as mountain bikers have made cycling clothing more abundant. The webbing on the top allows the hands to breath in the hotter weather. We found that Asda sold them for about £5 a pair, but you would also find them at Halfords or any bike shop though they may be more like £10 to £12 from them.

 
Ramps

  

Wooden structures with rubber matting fixed to the surface to prevent slipping. The initial ramp was fitted by Social Services but did not give sufficient room to easily turn the wheelchair around to approach the door straight on. There is a small ramp inside the door and if you come in at an angle you will find you loose traction and control with your rear wheels as one of the front wheels drops before the other. The main platform can be made of Marine Ply or normal decking materials which are easily available. The advantage of this structure is that it is semi-permanent and can be removed if you sell the house.

 
 

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