Prosthetic leg monitors gait and alerts users to wear and tear

The US Navy is partnering with academia to develop a ‘smart’ prosthetic leg equipped with specially designed sensors to monitor walking gait and alert users to wear and tear.

Traditional leg prosthetics depend on soft limb tissue to function and can be painful to wear, resulting in awkward walking motion and possible skin infection.

To overcome these limitations, the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) is partnering with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Naval Research Laboratory and several universities to develop MOIP (Monitoring OsseoIntegrated Prostheses).

“MOIP not only can improve quality of life, but also usher in the next generation of prosthetic limbs,” said Dr Liming Salvino, a program officer in ONR’s Warfighter Performance Department.

According to ONR, leg prosthetics most commonly fit amputees’ residual limbs via a socket that encloses the limb. Because the socket exerts pressure on the limb’s soft tissue, pain and chafing, sores and blisters, and infection can occur. Amputees often have their socket prosthetics adjusted, which is inconvenient and costly. Consequently, many amputees give up prosthetics for wheelchairs.