The Jaipur foot, also known as the Jaipur leg, is a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with below-knee amputations. Although inferior in many ways to the composite carbon fibre variants, its variable applicability and cost efficiency make it an acceptable choice for prosthesis. Ram Chandra Sharma and orthopedic surgeon P. K. Sethi designed and developed it in 1968. [1]
The Jaipur foot consists of a rubber core, wooden block and vulcanised rubber coating. It is a soft multi axial artificial foot and provides enough dorsiflexion to permit an amputee to squat. Use of the Jaipur foot is limited to prosthetic users at the level of household and limited community ambulation, since it is unsuitable for high level activities and sports or if the user must transverse uneven terrain.
The idea of the Jaipur foot was conceived by Ram Chander Sharma, a craftsman, and P. K. Sethi, who was then the head of the Department of Orthopedics at Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur. [2] Existing prosthetic feet did not allow users to go barefoot, squat or sit crosslegged, or work in muddy fields, all of which were common in poorer areas of India. Sharma and Sethi set out to design a cheap foot that could work for this cultural context.
The Jaipur foot was named after Jaipur, India, where it was designed.
The Jaipur foot is composed of a wooden ankle and a rubber heel and forefoot section, all surrounded by a thin outer layer of tire cord, a rubber composite. [3]
It is a modification of the Solid Ankle Cushioned Heel (SACH) foot, with the wooden ankle of the SACH foot replaced with a more flexible block of rubber, which allows the user to squat or sit cross-legged. In the original design, the expensive wooden shank of the SACH foot, used to attach the foot to the user's leg, is replaced with a cheaper aluminum shank. [4] A later version is made of high-density polyethylene, which increases the durability and the convenience of use. [5]
The original version was made primarily of rubber, while a later version is made of polyurethane, which is lighter. [6] However, the Jaipur foot is still heavier than standard prosthetics.
The Jaipur foot has some advantages relative to conventional SACH feet, especially in the range of movements it offers. It is possible to move the ankle and foot thanks to the shorter keel and rubber ankle. The materials used at the foot-end are waterproof and somewhat mimic a real foot. [7] These features help amputees using the foot assimilate more easily in a semi-urban or rural setup in the Indian subcontinent and other developing countries.
The Jaipur foot was never patented or otherwise standardized. As a result, there is significant variation in the quality of feet and their fitting. [5] It has a typical lifespan of around 2–5 years. [8]
In India, the Jaipur foot can be fitted for free by Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), a charitable organization for amputees and other disabled people founded by Devendra Raj Mehta. [9] The government of India supports BMVSS with financial aid to carry out the work done by the organization. [10] It costs approximately $45 to make.[ citation needed ] BMVSS, in collaboration with a team at Stanford University, also developed the Jaipur knee - a versatile and budget-friendly prosthetic knee joint that mimics the natural joint's movements. [11] [12] Time listed the Jaipur Knee as one of the best inventions of 2009. [13]
The Jaipur foot is commonly used in low-income countries and warzones as a low-cost alternative to conventional prosthetics. It was used during the war in Afghanistan to help treat land mine victims. [2] [7]
Sudha Chandran, an Indian actress and dancer, lost her limb in an accident in 1982. She was fitted with the Jaipur foot and started dancing once again; her journey is the theme of the Telugu 1984 film Mayuri (Peahen), re-made into a 1986 Hindi film, Naache Mayuri (Peahen Dancing). Both the films starred Sudha as the lead. [14]
P. K. Sethi was awarded the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1981, [15] and the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1981. [16] Dr. D R Mehta received the Rajasthan Ratna for his contribution to Jaipur foot in 2013 by Rajasthan Government.
In medicine, a prosthesis, or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth. Prostheses are intended to restore the normal functions of the missing body part. Amputee rehabilitation is primarily coordinated by a physiatrist as part of an inter-disciplinary team consisting of physiatrists, prosthetists, nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Prostheses can be created by hand or with computer-aided design (CAD), a software interface that helps creators design and analyze the creation with computer-generated 2-D and 3-D graphics as well as analysis and optimization tools.
Sudha Chandran is an Indian Bharatanatyam dancer and actress who appears in Indian television and films.
Pramod Karan Sethi was an Indian orthopaedic surgeon. With Ram Chandra Sharma, he co-invented the "Jaipur foot", an inexpensive and flexible artificial limb, in 1969.
A Prosthetist and Orthotist, as defined by The World Health Organization, is a healthcare professional with overall responsibly of Prosthetics & Orthotics treatment, who can supervise and mentor the practice of other personnel. They are clinicians trained to assess the needs of the user, prescribe treatment, determine the precise technical specifications of prosthesis and Orthosis, take measurements and image of body segments, prepare model of the evaluation, fit devices and evaluate treatment outcome.
D. R. Mehta is a former chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Mehta is a recipient of Padma Bhushan, one of the highest Indian civilian awards, for his contribution to social causes.
James Foort was a Canadian inventor, artist, and innovator in the field of prosthetic limbs.
Van Phillips is an American inventor of prosthetics.
Therdchai Jivacate is a Thai orthopedic surgeon and inventor known for his humanitarian activities in providing free prosthetic limbs to impoverished amputees, and for his development of techniques allowing low-cost, high-quality prostheses to be made from local materials. The activities of the Prostheses Foundation, which he founded in 1992 under royal sponsorship from the Princess Mother Srinagarindra, have expanded beyond the borders of Thailand to Malaysia, Laos, and Burma. Jivacate has established Thailand's first and only educational institution of occupational therapy at Chiang Mai University. He has also created an educational programme for children suffering from chronic diseases at Maharaj Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima. In 2008, he was given the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service.
James Edward Hanger was a Confederate States Army veteran of the American Civil War, a prosthetist and a businessman. It is reported that he became the first amputee of the war after being struck in the leg by a cannonball. Hanger subsequently designed and created his own prosthesis, then went on to found a prosthetic company that continues in business today.
Hugh Herr is an American rock climber, engineer, and biophysicist. When he was young, both of his legs were amputated below the knee during a blizzard in a rock climbing trip. After months of surgeries and rehabilitation, Herr began climbing again, using specialized prostheses he designed for himself, becoming the first person with a major amputation to perform in a sport on par with elite-level, able-bodied persons. He holds the patents to the Rheo Knee, an active ankle-foot orthosis, which is the world's first powered ankle-foot prosthesis.
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Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine is a state-owned hospital situated in K. K. Nagar in Chennai, India. Founded in 1979, the hospital is funded and managed by the state government of Tamil Nadu and is attached to Directorate of Medical Education. It is the only government-run centre that makes prosthetic limbs.
Robotic prosthesis control is a method for controlling a prosthesis in such a way that the controlled robotic prosthesis restores a biologically accurate gait to a person with a loss of limb. This is a special branch of control that has an emphasis on the interaction between humans and robotics.
Gait deviations are nominally referred to as any variation of standard human gait, typically manifesting as a coping mechanism in response to an anatomical impairment. Lower-limb amputees are unable to maintain the characteristic walking patterns of an able-bodied individual due to the removal of some portion of the impaired leg. Without the anatomical structure and neuromechanical control of the removed leg segment, amputees must use alternative compensatory strategies to walk efficiently. Prosthetic limbs provide support to the user and more advanced models attempt to mimic the function of the missing anatomy, including biomechanically controlled ankle and knee joints. However, amputees still display quantifiable differences in many measures of ambulation when compared to able-bodied individuals. Several common observations are whole-body movements, slower and wider steps, shorter strides, and increased sway.
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Margarethe Caroline Eichler was a German inventor, instrument maker and prostheses designer. She was the first woman in Prussia to receive a patent and was also the inventor of the first practical modern hand prosthesis.
Robert D. Gregg is an American bioengineer, roboticist, inventor and academic. He is an associate professor at the University of Michigan.
Elliott J Rouse is an American mechanical engineer, roboticist, and academic. He is an associate professor in the Departments of Robotics and Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Neurobionics Lab at the University of Michigan.
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