Comfortable sockets are out of reach.
Lower-limb amputees rely on a socket to walk. A bad fit rubs, slips and sweats, and many people stop wearing the leg.
The limb changes. The socket doesn’t.
Most sockets are rigid plastic molded to a cast of the limb on one day. Four things work against that fit.
Daily swelling
A residual limb gains and loses fluid through the day. A socket that fits at 8 a.m. can be loose by noon.
Long-term shrinkage
The limb shrinks for months after amputation. A rigid socket can’t follow, so the only fix is a new one.
Slipping
Gravity pulls the limb down into a loose socket over the day, putting pressure on bony areas.
Sweat and friction
Heat and humidity build up between liner and skin, causing chafing, irritation and sores.
Adjustable sockets exist. Most people can’t get one.
Every amputee in our support group named socket fit as a main pain point. The products that fix it are built for insurance billing.
Price
Adjustable sockets cost far more than standard ones and are mostly paid for through insurance, which raises prices and adds paperwork.
Coverage
Medicare K-levels can keep low-activity patients, many of them diabetic, from coverage for higher-quality devices.
Appointments
Fixing a fit problem usually means another prosthetist appointment, and repairs and replacements are slow.
Our partner in Uganda
We’re not testing in Uganda, and LaceFit is built for the U.S. The Amputee Self Help Network Uganda is a partner that shares what it sees in its clinics: patients who often can’t afford a prosthesis at all, and technicians working with basic tools.