The development of artificial prosthetic lower limbs aims to improve patient’s mobility while avoiding secondary problems resulting from the use of the prostheses themselves. The residual limb is a pressure-sensitive area where skin injuries and pain are more likely to develop. Requirements for adequate prosthetic limbs have now become urgent to improve amputee’s quality of life. This study aims to understand how socket design parameters related to geometry can influence pressure distribution in the residual limb. A finite element model was developed to simulate the mechanical loading applied on the residual limb of a below-knee amputee while walking. A sensitivity analysis to socket initial geometry, scaling the socket downward in the horizontal plane, was performed. Recordings include stress levels on the skin and in the residual limb deep soft tissues. Peak stress was reduced by up to 51% with a limited reduction of the socket size. More important scale reduction of the residual limb would lead to possible negative effects, such as stress concentrations in sensitive areas. This result confirms the interest of the prosthetist to develop a well-fitting socket, possibly a little smaller than the residual limb itself, in order to avoid residual limb mobility in the socket that could cause friction and stress concentrations. Non-homogeneous geometrical reductions of the socket should be further investigated.

人造假肢的发展旨在改善患者的活动能力，同时避免因使用假肢本身而引起的继发性问题。残肢是压力敏感区域，皮肤伤害和疼痛更容易发生。现在，迫切需要适当的假肢来改善被截肢者的生活质量。本研究旨在了解与几何相关的承窝设计参数如何影响残肢中的压力分布。开发了一个有限元模型来模拟行走时施加在膝盖以下截肢者残肢上的机械负荷。对插座的初始几何形状进行了敏感性分析，将插座在水平面内按比例缩小。记录包括皮肤和残肢深部软组织上的压力水平。在减小插座尺寸的情况下，峰值应力降低了多达51％。更重要的是减少残留肢体的鳞屑会导致可能的负面影响，例如敏感区域的应力集中。该结果证实了假肢医师的兴趣，即开发一种合适的承窝，该承窝可能比残肢本身小一些，以避免残肢在承窝中的活动性，从而导致摩擦和应力集中。承窝的非均匀几何尺寸缩小应进一步研究。例如敏感区域的应力集中。该结果证实了假肢医师的兴趣，即开发一种合适的承窝，该承窝可能比残肢本身小一些，以避免残肢在承窝中的活动性，从而导致摩擦和应力集中。承窝的非均匀几何尺寸缩小应进一步研究。例如敏感区域的应力集中。该结果证实了假肢医师的兴趣，即开发一种合适的承窝，该承窝可能比残肢本身小一些，以避免残肢在承窝中的活动性，从而导致摩擦和应力集中。承窝的非均匀几何尺寸缩小应进一步研究。