KnotesFree Orthopaedic & FRCS notes, viva stations and higher order SBAs

Prosthesis and orthotics

Must KnowApplied Basic SciencesthinKbox SBA

Nomenclature

  • Prostheis technically embraces all substitutes for bodily defects
  • Transtibial/Transfemoral
  • Trauma/PVD/Tumor/Gangrene/Congenetal
  • MESS
  • Insensate plantar surface

S/R: 2 weeks

  • Shrinker sock 2weeks
  • casting 2 weeks
  • Prosthesis
  • Standing for 15 mts 2 weeks
  • Gait training 6weeks

Higher the amputation

  • Patients self regulated walking speed decreases
  • Higher energy expenditure

Symes

  • Advantages: longer stump
    • Patients self regulated walking speed more
    • Less energy expenditure
    • Walk on residual stump
  • Disadvantages
    • Bulky socket/need C/L raise
    • Fat pad migration

Transtibial

  • Easier to match height side to side
  • Better cosmeses

Through knee vs trans femoral

  • Adv
    • Better self regulated walking speed
    • less energy expenditure
    • Bulbous ship give better stability for prosthesis
  • Disadv
    • decrease cosmoses
    • asymmetric knee
    • limited knee component availability
    • Increased tissue trauma and painful residual stump

Ideal length

  • Always need a longer lever arm
  • Space for component, cosmetically pleasing
  • 5 inch rule
  • Minimum: retain tibial tubercle and patella tendon

Soft tissue

  • Posterior flap: Diameter + 1 cm
  • Fibula 1cm shorter than tibia
  • if interosseous disrupted, syndesmotic screw

Tranfemoral

  • 5 inch rule
  • Minimum 3 inch above knee joint
    • If not, cosmetically displeasing and fitting not good
  • Minimum 2 inches below LT

Prerequisites for trans tibial

  • Full knee extension
  • 70degree flexion
  • Full hip extension
  • 80 % strength of uninjured limb

Pre requisites trans femoral

  • Full range hip movement
  • < 10 degree FAB deformity

Soft tissue coverage

  • Full thickness skin
  • mobile non adherent Muscle mass
    • Durable
    • Allow pistoning
    • Distribute load to bone
    • dissipate pressure during loading

Myodesis/myoplasty

  • Do combination of both, ie anchor adductor muscle to femur
  • Do at resting status of joint
    • Avoid adductor roll
    • Avoid abductor lurch

Load transfer

  • Direct load transfer: end bearing (through knee or ankle)
    • Wide metaphysis means larger surface area
    • Less young modulus
    • this dampen the load
  • Indirect: total contact

End bearing prosthesis

  • Socket: provide impact dampening
  • suspension: prevents falling off
  • Provide satisfactory alignment

Indirect load transfer

  • Trans tibial/trans femoral
  • Terminal surface is not capable of load transfer
    • Too small surface area
    • Bone is stiff
    • Cannot dampen the forces

Snug fit: hydraulic cylinder

  • 10 degree FAD in hip
  • 10 degree FAD in knee

Complications

  • Residual limb pain (40)
  • Phantom pain (70)
  • distressing pain(40)
  • Neuroma
  • contracture
  • infection
  • bony prominences
  • veracious hyperplasia

Parts

Preparatory/definitive

  • Socket
  • Suspension
  • Pylon/shank
  • Foot
  • Mechanical knee joint

PTB/TSB (total surface bearing)

  • PTB
    • Medial tibial flare
    • popletial counter pressure
    • patellar tendon
    • supracondylar/suprapatellar suspension

TSB

  • Distribute weight
  • Pin and silicon liner
  • vacuum assisted suction suspension

Shank

  • Aircraft grade aluminium/carbon
  • Shock absorption
  • Transverse rotator

Knee prosthesis

  • Single axis knee
  • Stance phase locking
  • 4 bare knee
  • Hydraulic knee
  • Pneumatic
  • Microprocessor
  • SACH
  • Carbon feet
  • Dynamic response feet (articulated/non articulated)
  • Short/long keel

Foot amputations

  • Toe
  • Ray
  • Mid foot lisfranc
  • Hind foot
    • chopart: CC/TN
    • Parogoff: Calcanium
    • Syme: through ankle

Midfoot

  • Inadequate lever arm for propulsion
    • Late varus deformity (Tant transfer)
    • Late equinous (AT lengthen)
  • So syme is better

Syme

  • Patent Post artery
  • Apex of incision just anterior to mid anterior border of medial and lateral malleoli
  • Remove malleoli
  • Heel pad to anterior rim tibia

Upper limb

  • Prehensile (sensory interaction)
  • Visual guidance (decrease if in full pronation)
  • Shoulder (centre of functional sphere)
  • Hand(extreme of functional sphere)
  • Elbow (Calliper to position hand)

Trans radial

  • through wrist better
  • volar flexors to radius and ulna (myodesis)
  • Fit in 5 days (myoelectric motor)

Written/reviewed by Kishore Puthezhath

Professor of Orthopaedics and Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon

FRCS (Tr & Orth) revision resource

Reviewed: September 2026