IDENTIFICATION OF PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION AT THE SOCKET INTERFACE OF ANABOVE-KNEE PROSTHESIS

The purpose of this study is to propose an indirect approach to identi fying the pressure distribution at the stump-socket interface of a pro sthesis. A finite-element model of the socket is combined with the obs erved deformation at the outer surface of the experimental socket, and the pressure identification problem is formulated in the context of a n inverse problem. Under the criterion of the minimization of elastic energy, the most plausible pressure at the interface is searched based on the observed socket deformation. The proposed procedure is impleme nted by using a commercially available finite-element package, and suc cessfully used for the quadrilateral socket of an above-knee prosthesi s. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.