Digital Human Modelling to Analyse Virtual Amputee’s Interaction with the Prosthesis

This paper refers to the integration of simulations tools to assess the design of prosthetic devices. We address issues arising when the prosthesis needs to be virtually tested, i.e., the gait of the virtual patient wearing the prosthesis. Therefore, we integrate two different simulation tools: the first one to study the interaction between socket and residual limb during the gait and the second one to analyze the patient’s gait deviations. Combining these numerical analyses, it is possible to investigate the causes of gait deviations and suggest remedies, both related to the prosthesis setup and the socket modeling. To prove the validity of the approach, we implemented a Finite Element Analysis model to analysis the stump-socket contact and we assembled a low cost Motion Capture system to acquire and elaborate patient gait. Preliminary results and remarks conclude the paper.