| abstract |
A cushioned prosthetic liner includes a distal attachment plate to which is secured a number of longitudinally extending elongate arms that are substantially non-stretchable in a longitudinal direction. The arms allow radial expansion and contraction of the liner but substantially inhibit axial stretching and therefore inhibit milking of a residuum. The arms may be embedded within the liner or secured to a surface of the liner. The structure spreads the negative pressure generated during the swing phase of a gait over substantially all of the inner surface area of the liner to further inhibit the milking effect. The elongate arms are preferably formed of silk, fiberglass cloth, or other substantially non-stretchable material. They may also be provided in the form of a strip of epoxy applied to a surface of a conventional prosthetic liner or in the form of seams sewed into the liner. Additional embodiments include prosthetic liners having no distal attachment plate. In those additional embodiments, the nonstretchable elongate arms are embedded into or secured to the surface of the prosthetic liner. |