Process of designing and manufacturing prosthetic socket for lower limb amputees: overview, challenges and future perspectives in Vietnam

The residual limbs of people with lower limb disabilities are unique in geometric shape, so each prosthetic socket must be specially made for each patient. The interface between the residual limb and the socket is one of the most complex challenges facing the prosthetics field. A prosthetic socket for people with lower limb disabilities must not only be comfortable to use, but it must also be durable in extended periods, and especially be affordable to be accepted in developing countries. This article aims to introduce how the design and manufacturing processes of prosthetic sockets that have existed over the past two decades have contributed solutions to current design and manufacturing processes as well as the stages of the procedure. In particular, the durability of digital prosthetic sockets is still a challenge for researchers. Therefore, this paper proposes a complete process of designing and manufacturing digital prosthetic sockets with a solution to optimize the durability of the socket, promising to benefit amputees in developing countries, especially in low-middle-income countries like Vietnam by providing high-quality digital products at low prices.