Thesis (M.S.)--University of British Columbia, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-50). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of British Columbia, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-50).

For pediatric amputees in developing countries, where characteristically rapid growth of children is compounded by a lack of medical services, maintaining proper socket fit is a challenging but necessary endeavor. A socket design that adjusts for radial and longitudinal growth will allow patients to wear the same socket for a longer period of time saving them the expense of subsequent fittings and hardware. Manufacture of such a socket poses a challenge for contemporary manufacturing processes. Due to its ability to rapidly manufacture complex part geometries, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is particularly suited to this application. Several preliminary design concepts for a volume adjustable transtibial SLS prosthetic socket for pediatric amputees in developing countries have been generated. These current design concepts utilize fasteners such as ratchet hooks and threads. Results from design and validation of theoretical models of these fastener concepts are the focus of this thesis. / text

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1986.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1986.

Adjustment difficulties can be a common problem for people with acquired physical disability. Depression can often be a sign that a person is having difficulties adjusting to and accepting change. One group of people with acquired disability are those who have had a limb amputated due to trauma, cancer, vascular disease or a congenital condition. People who have had an amputation are more likely develop depression than the general population. This study is an investigation into some of the factors (coping strategies, mood, and personality variables) associated with adjustment to amputation. Forty individuals with amputations were asked to complete a set of questionnaires and participate in a short taped interview. Coping strategies were measured using the COPE and personality variables were measured using the Structural Profile Inventory (SPI). Anxiety and depression were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Life satisfaction was measured using the Life Satisfaction Index (A) (LSI). The HAD and LSI were used as indicators of possible adjustment difficulties. Short interviews were also conducted to find out about people's perception of the care that they had received and if these were related to coping strategies. Statistical analysis showed that two coping strategies, positive reinterpretation and growth, and humour, were both associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. Mental disengagement was associated with lower levels of life satisfaction. Personality variables were associated with coping strategies. Two personality variables (Behaviour and Affect) were related to life satisfaction and anxiety. Qualitative analysis of interviews showed that people valued the support of other amputees and wanted services to provide more access to information about the range of artificial limbs available to them. The findings supported the hypothesis that personality is related to the use of particular coping strategies. This could help inform clinical practice, psychological intervention, and physical rehabilitation programmes.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1979. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Donald L. Grimes. / Ph.D.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING / Includes bibliographical references. / by Ronny N. Galloway. / M.S.

In the twenty-first century, new cutting-edge osseointegration technology is improving quality of life. Osseointegration is a new technique to suspend an implant prosthetic device for individuals with a limb-loss. The science of osseointegration is not clearly understood although there appears to be a special relationship between pure titanium that promotes activation of our bone building cells and bone remodeling. Direct bone-anchored osseointegration to integrate a foreign device into the body without the body rejecting the prosthesis is the new technology lacking knowledge and research clinical cases for human translation. The objective of the case study was to review the science of bone-anchored osseointegration as a limb-salvaging technique and potential translation to humans using a canine model in a well-defined control study. Aims were to enhance knowledge technology, improve mobility, decrease pain to improve quality of life and influence health care practices. By the year 2050, the projected number of American amputees is expected to reach 3.6 million. Many people depend on artificial limbs to perform their activities of daily living. Often these limbs start developing complications associated with stump-socket designs such as separation from the human tissue, poor fit with repeated fittings, recurrent skin infections, ulcers and pressure sores due to non-uniform pressure distribution over the socket contact area and pain which decreases their mobility. Since 2001, close to 28,500 American troops have been wounded in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Greater than 24,600 of them have survived their injury, the highest survival rate of any war in the history of the United States. Sadly, 700 of these services members have lost at least one limb from amputations. Lower limb amputations are still performed above the knee as not enough bone can be preserved below the knee for prosthesis. Osseointegration with limb-salvaging techniques could enhance mobility and quality of life for those individuals who sacrifice their limbs defending our freedoms.

Following lower-limb amputation, patients suffer from sensory loss within the prosthesis/residuum complex leading to diminished proprioception and balance. Artificial sensory systems have the potential to improve rehabilitation outcomes including better functional usage of lower-limb prostheses to achieve a higher quality of life for the prosthetic users. The purpose of this work was to develop and test the e fficacy of a vibrotactile feedback system for lower-limb amputees that may augment feedback during complex balance and movement tasks. Responses to different vibrotactile stimuli frequencies, locations, and physical conditions were assessed. Key outcome measures for this work were the response time and response accuracy of the subjects to the different stimulator configurations. Frequencies closer to 250 Hz applied to the anterior portion of the thigh resulted in the quickest reaction times. When multitasking, reaction times increased. These preliminary results indicate that vibrotactile sensory feedback may be viable to use by lower-limb amputees.