A Total Contact Color Pad
Alfred Schnell, C.P.O. *
Herman G. Pollack, DPM *
Introduction
There has been a need for some method of determining whether pressures caused by bony prominences are present on BK and AK amputees fitted with total contact sockets. It is also necessary to insure that total contact is made. After experimenting with several types of materials, a distal pad has been developed that has proved to be most effective and easy to apply.
Suggested Application Procedure
Place the desired size pad in the total contact socket. Have the patient, wearing a stump sock, walk with his prosthesis. A cushioning effect is felt as the pad conforms to the distal end of the stump and socket. The prosthesis is then removed and by observing the pad, the indentations made by pressure points can be observed. Discolorization will also appear according to the amount of pressure on the pad. The thickness variations in the compressed pad will also indicate whether or not total distal contact is maintained between the stump and socket.
Technical Information
Total Contact Pads, shown in Fig. 1 , are made of a non-toxic latex foam, specially treated to retain its identification of the compressed areas. A colored flock has been added for strength as well as for color identification of the compressed areas.
|
