Prosthetics

Your prosthesis needs to fit well and match your lifestyle. This is important for people of all ages and activity levels. Over the years, you may need to replace your prosthesis or its parts. These changes will be made by a prosthetist who knows how your body works and has the technical skills to build a prosthesis just right for you.

You might need to replace your prosthesis when:

• You have gained a lot of weight
• Prosthetic components (parts) no longer work the way they should
• Your activity level changes and the prosthesis no longer saves energy
• You need a new component that does not work well with what you have
• There have already been so many changes that your prosthesis may break
• A prosthetist can no longer fix your prosthesis without rebuilding it.

You might need to replace components of a modular prosthesis when:

• The socket is too big, too small, or the wrong shape and causes pain or infection
• Parts of your prosthesis have shrunk or stretched and are no longer safe
• Materials are cracked or broken
• Materials are not strong enough to hold your weight
• There is a leak or breakdown in the suction suspension
• You cannot keep your prosthesis clean anymore.

Ways to Learn More:

• Visit the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) Web site at www.amputee-coalition.org
• Call ACA toll-free at 1-888/AMP-KNOW (1-888/267-5669)
• "Protecting Your Prosthetic Investment" / Erik Schaffer, CP. inMotion, January / February 2006, pp. 62-63. Available in the online library at www.amputee-coalition.org

** Translated from When to Replace a Prosthesis, by Paddy Rossbach, RN, CEO, Amputee Coalition of America (ACA).