Development of Moisture Management Liner for Improving Residual Limb Skin Care
Abstract
With continued improvements in body armor and the disturbing increase in explosive offensives in modern combat, more of our wounded Soldiers are surviving their injuries, marking a considerable increase in the military amputee population. Limb loss affects approximately 1.7 million people in the United States; a vast majority of these (86%) involve lower limb amputations. A significant portion of both civilians and Soldiers who undergo amputation are now being fitted with state-of-the-art prosthetic devices. Due to the improved functionality of these prostheses, some of these Soldiers are opting to return to active duty after an intensive rehabilitation process (8.8%). Improvements in the prosthetic limb function have outpaced improvements to the fit and comfort of the devices, so concerns remain with respect to the interface with the residual limb and resulting physical demands on the amputee. The residual limb is typically covered by non-breathable and non-thermally conductive materials that can create a warm, moist environment. The trapped heat and perspiration may lead to skin conditions of the residual limb that have been well-documented for decades. These conditions include folliculitis, friction blisters, and bacterial growth. To mitigate the effects that heat and perspiration have on skin health, comfort, and subsequent prosthesis donning, the proposed effort seeks to promote heat transfer to the socket wall through thermally conductive elastomeric materials and to reduce sweat exposure through novel microchannels by integrating both into a commercially viable socket liner solution. An uncomfortable or non-performing socket/residual limb interface decreases prosthesis use among amputees who want to remain active in their civilian and military lives. Through parallel development of a cooling socket and the herein proposed moisture managing liner, the resultant two-product solution will promote the health and comfort required to lead an active life.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 29, 2018
- Source ID
- W81XWH1810745
Entities
People
- Gordon Hirschman
Organizations
- United States Army
- Vivonics (United States)