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Developments in prosthetics

As demonstrated in the Paris 2024 Paralympics, there have been several recent notable developments in prosthetics that can impact athletes.

By: Dr Christopher Marker, Lead Data Scientist

Customised 3D-printed prosthetics allow for a personalised design, enhancing comfort and performance. Athletes can collaborate with designers to create bespoke prosthetic limbs tailored to their needs. Lightweight materials like carbon fibre are used to enable better agility and speed, while joint and socket design advancements ensure stability and optimal fit. Biomechanical engineering is used to design the materials to work seamlessly with the athlete’s body. This involves customising the prosthetic to the individual’s specific anatomy and biomechanics, ensuring optimal performance and comfort.

Some examples of the materials used

Carbon fibre composites

These materials are incredibly lightweight and strong, making them ideal for high-performance prosthetics. They provide excellent balance and ‘springiness’, which is crucial for activities like running and jumping.

Titanium and aluminium

These metals are lightweight and strong and exceptionally biocompatible, thereby reducing the risk of inflammation and rejection by the connected tissue.

Polymers and silicone

These materials create more flexible and comfortable prosthetic sockets. They can mimic the look and feel of natural skin, making it feel more real for the user.

Auxetic metamaterials

These materials have a unique property where they expand laterally when stretched (negative Poisson ratio), unlike conventional materials that contract. This allows for better shock absorption, making them ideal for high-impact activities like jumping and long-distance running.
Integration with Smart Technology: Some of the latest prosthetics include sensors and microprocessors that can adjust the stiffness and responsiveness of the blade in real-time, based on the runner’s speed and terrain.
There are currently challenges with NHS Prosthetics in the UK as Paralympian Richard Whitehead emphasised that NHS prosthetics are often “not fit for purpose" and funding stops after the age of 18, leading many to give up sports due to financial restrictions, so further research is required to ensure peak performance at minimal prices to make them accessible for everyone.

Prosthetics and Inspec

There are over 100,000 articles in the Inspec database that mention prosthetics which is defined for indexing purposes as either an artificial body part, permanent implant, or artificial organ. These are indexed under the following subject classifications:

We also have a number of Controlled Indexing terms related to this area, including:

  • prosthetics
  • artificial limbs             
  • artificial organs          
  • biomechanics 
  • cochlear implants                   
  • pacemakers               
  • prosthetic power supplies                  
  • stents
  • biomedical materials
  • carbon fibre reinforced composites
  • polymers
  • metamaterials
  • auxetics
  • intelligent materials
  • brain-computer interfaces
  • gait analysis
  • handicapped aids
  • medical robotics
  • sensory aids
  • three-dimensional printing

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