Properties of Materials and Models of Prosthetic Feet: A Review

Abstract

Abstract Prosthetic limbs fabricate devices that provide amputees with a replacement for their missing limbs, restoring some function. These artificial feet are not as multifunctional as natural feet, but they improve the patient’s performance level. Considering prosthetic feet, in particular, selecting a device is based on how favorably a device matches the human foot’s characteristics. Prosthetic feet are designed to meet required values for tensile strength, density, corrosion resistance, shear strength, flexibility, durability, and cost-efficiency. The above considerations depend on the properties of the material used, the foot’s design, and the manufacturing process applied. In the manufacture of the prosthetic foot, polymers composite reinforced with fibers have been used. Their characteristics confirm a constant and low weight structure that makes it possible for agglomeration, distribution, and energy storage through walking, making a certain rise in gait effectiveness. Depending on the composite’s adjustment in terms of fiber choice, their system, type of mixture and mass content, and the prosthesis design, the foot gets change effectiveness as the ratio of energy unconfined to energy assembled. In this paper, the biomechanics, materials, and models of the prosthetic foot have been reviewed.