| 摘要 |
An improved prosthetic foot achieves minimal weight, robust structure, and anatomically correct behaviors by means of structural arrangement and maximized material application. The improved prosthetic foot includes a forefoot leaf spring longitudinally strengthened by a raised or inverted channel and a heel assembly having a non-linear loading response as the heel member is depressed during a gait cycle. A forefoot according to the invention has a mean flexure line substantially parallel to, and forwardly displaced from, the T<SUB>c</SUB> axis of rotation of an equivalent intact foot. The forefoot leaf spring channel provides a hinging action that allows for the expression and isolation of rotational forces at the front of the forefoot (inversion and eversion) separate from the rear of the foot. The hinging action also helps advantageously distribute the pressure of the body weight on the foot in a manner akin to a natural foot. The channel also forms a path for the progression of the center of mass of the body as it progresses through the gait process.
|
