2. Applications for medical device design

2.1 Modeling the behavior of energy-restoring prosthetic feet

Following amputation of a lower limb, walking can only be restored by fitting a prosthesis. In the case of amputations to the tibia, i.e. below the knee joint, prosthetic components are used to reproduce the functions performed by the physiological foot and ankle joints during walking. Technological developments, in particular the use of deformable composite materials capable of storing energy during deformation, have made it possible to integrate these functions within a single component: the prosthetic foot. The result is a complete range of so-called "energy-restoring" feet that attempt to reproduce the mobility of the multiple joints of the foot and ankle, and to compensate in part for the absence of muscular structures,...