A material for direct forming of prosthetic sockets.

For a number of years, prosthetics research groups have been attempting to develop a method of forming sockets directly on amputation stumps, in order to reduce the time required to produce a satisfactory socket and to eliminate the messy working conditions inherent in the use of plaster of paris (1). Direct forming requires a material that: (a) is plastic at temperatures moderately above ambient, but which requires reasonably high temperatures for subsequent softening; (b) is easily handled under conditions found in most limb shops; (c) exhibits minimum creep or deformation under normal loads, even at temperatures slightly above body temperature; (d) is nontoxic; and (e) has a reasonable strength-to-weight ratio. Recently, research and development groups in Canada and the United States have developed successful techniques for direct forming of some types of sockets by using a synthetic balata, Polysar X-414.