Design and Analysis of Dynamic Energy Return Prosthesis Foot Using Finite Element Method

Transtibial amputation may be caused by a disease or an accident. The rehabilitation for this type of amputation is to replace the amputated part by a prosthetic limb. Most of the commercially available DER (Dynamic Energy return) prosthetic feet contain soft components, that store and release energy. In contrast, the proposed model of prosthetic foot stores and release energy by means of material properties and geometry. Traditionally, the performance analysis of prosthetic feet required the existence of prototype. However, latest numerical techniques allow analysis, during the design stage. ISO-22675 has proposed experimental setup and standard for the analysis of any prosthetic foot. In this work, instead of using experimental setup and physical prototype, the proposed foot has been modeled, analyzed, and optimized using FEM (finite element method) as per the boundary conditions specified by ISO-22675, during the design process. The aim of his paper is to develop a low-cost, fixed prosthetic lower limb, DER foot, that is within the buying power of lower income class and its performance and features are as per ISO standards. The foot has been designed using displacement and stiffness parameters of Niagara FootTM and analyzed as per ISO Protocol 22675 using FEM analysis.