Assembling My Final Product

This week in ISM, I updated my portfolio and assembled the majority of both prosthetic legs during my mentor visit. First, I had to decide the approximate height and foot size of my patient, so that I could get the appropriate parts. I decided that the individual would be just over 6 feet with a 27 cm foot, and then my mentor and I used this information to select several models of foot attachments and other connecting pieces for the legs. As I built the first device, Mr. Wilson allowed me to first try and figure out which pieces were needed by myself before he gave me more information to lead me to the correct parts. In this way, I was able to really understand each step and incorporate critical thinking skills to build the legs by myself under my mentor's guidance. For the foot attachment, I selected a low-energy transfer model for the shuttle lock system and one more suitable for an active lifestyle for the vacuum, since the patient would need about a year to adjust to the amputation before returning fully to his prior activities. Then, I started to put each leg together, working from the foot attachment to the socket, since this method gave me a solid foundation to build upon. Lastly, I adjusted the foot on each socket to angle slightly outward, because Mr. Wilson told me that most people walk with their toes pointing outward. Through this entire process, I realized that the generic template for both the temporary and finalized prosthesis was essentially the same. The main differences were the type of suspension system used and style of connecting parts, since I did have to modify the lengths of pylons to maintain the same distance from the bottom of the foot to the knee on both devices. This upcoming week, I will create my FPN guest list and write another Evidence of Learning.