Personalized Prosthetic Socket with Embedded Multi-Location Pressure Sensing Technology

This paper presents the design, characterization, and preliminary evaluation of a portable wireless pressure measurement system for monitoring the socket-limb interface of a transtibial prosthesis. The system employs custom-fabricated, fluid-filled silicone bladders flush-mounted within an additively manufactured prosthetic socket to capture loading data from multiple anatomical locations. Benchtop testing under quasi-static conditions confirmed the sensors’ suitability for this application, showing high linearity and minimal drift and ensuring signal stability. Preliminary feasibility was assessed in a single transtibial prosthesis user during standing and walking tasks as an initial proof-of-concept evaluation. The system successfully detected distinct site-specific loading patterns, identifying localized high pressure at the fibular head. Furthermore, gait analysis revealed non-intuitive loading shifts at the fibular head during unsupported walking, highlighting the importance of dynamic monitoring. These preliminary findings demonstrate the system’s technical capability to provide objective interface loading data that may help prosthetists evaluate socket design. Future work will focus on expanding participant recruitment, performing dynamic sensor characterization, incorporating additional sensing locations, and studying long-term sensor performance. This proof-of-concept study establishes the technical viability of the proposed sensing approach; however, generalization to the broader clinical population requires multi-participant validation.