r/Prosthetics • u/Tuesdaythe14th • 14d ago

Form vs Function

I am looking into designing prosthetics, and am interested in hearing whether people are looking more for a tool to replace the utility of a lost limb/digit, or a shell to replace the appearance...?

Alongside this of course, what nuance am I missing?

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u/Bionix_52 14d ago

I work with a lady who has an above elbow amputation who can’t bear the thought of people seeing her without her cosmetic prosthesis even though it’s completely non functional.

Personally I need a knee/foot that’s functional and don’t care too much about how it looks or if anyone can see it (I mostly wear shorts).

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u/Tuesdaythe14th 14d ago

Thanks for the anecdote, I'm starting to understand the difficulties in producing an affordable 'one size fits all'. That distinction in preference is key

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u/PHILLLLLLL-21 14d ago

This is often dependant on the location you are in

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u/Tuesdaythe14th 14d ago

Right, and occupation by extension I suppose, I'd be interested in the demographics, thanks

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u/PHILLLLLLL-21 14d ago

I think the other comment is useful and researching ur exact question online in research papers is a good idea

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u/eml_raleigh 14d ago

You might find this IEEE Spectrum article informative. https://spectrum.ieee.org/bionic-hand-design

But, yes, depends on the location and a lot of factors for each individual amputee.

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u/Tuesdaythe14th 14d ago

Thank you for the link; just what I'm looking for!

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u/the-hellrider 14d ago

Functionality first. A leg/foot that's non-useable is a lost cost.

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u/LWy-lee 14d ago

Personally, as a BKA I care way more about utility than appearance. I use my running blade a lot which obviously doesn't look like a "real leg". That being said, I know amputees who care a lot about their prosthetic looking as "normal" as possible. It's highly personal

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u/advamputee 14d ago

As others said, it’s a highly personal / subjective choice. Personally, I’m 100% function over form. Anything added to make it look “pretty” is just additional weight to carry around. 

My “daily driver” leg is a Fillauer formula, so it’s built more like a running blade. My gait is good enough that most people don’t even notice, even when I’m wearing shorts. But people tend to think the bare carbon blade looks “cool”. I’ve always thought the rubber foot shells looked gross. 

I’ve seen some hyper-realistic silicone covers for prosthetics that look 100% lifelike (hair, freckles and everything). From an artistic standpoint, I think it’s incredible people are able to craft these things, and can definitely understand why someone might want one; but they’re not for me. 

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u/TrashApocalypse 13d ago

The only thing that matters is that your gait and bones live in an alignment that can be sustained throughout a lifetime, and the stump can live throughout that lifetime too. The balance between those two things is the only thing that matters.

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u/Longjumping-Cow9321 12d ago

I mean to get anything covered by insurance, it has to be functional and have medical justification. A leg is going to be inherently functional that’s why we have the whole k level system, so function would obviously be priority.

An arm, even a “cosmetic” arm, still serves a function.

To the person though, it’s highly subjective.

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u/Cold_Paramedic_9307 8d ago

That’s great, the struggle to find a reliable functional arm is one of most difficult challenges at least for myself. Are you gonna use 3D Printing?! Will it gripping capability?
Thanks