Stress Analysis of a Prosthetic Blade

The aim of this study is to challenge the universally accepted design of the prosthetic runningblade. Through the application of three different forces to a simulation model of the standarddesign, we can identify and enhance vulnerable areas. We then devised two potential designalternatives, based on the simulation results from SolidWorks to lower the maximum Von Misesstress within the model, thereby increasing the overall factor of safety. After performing thesame tests on each custom design, it became clear that the first design greatly reduced the stressin all three aspects and proved to be a successful alternative. Despite its effectiveness in reducingbending moment and shear stresses, the second design ultimately failed to reduce torsion stressand proved unsafe when applied to the rear of the model with a force four times the average trackathlete's weight.