"A good socket fit can make you or break you": A multimethod study to explore the perceptions and experiences of socket fitting among people with lower-limb loss in Australia.
Background: Iterative design and modification are used to manufacture lower limb prosthetic sockets that meet users' needs while also fulfilling safety and mobility criteria. Greater understanding of the expectations of prosthesis users regarding prosthetic fit as well as their experiences at the ti...
| Published in: | Prosthetics & Orthotics International Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 636 - 645 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
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Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Dec2025
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=189880848&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 189880848 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 03093646 G8W jtl: Prosthetics & Orthotics International issn: 03093646 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Dec2025 vid: 49 iid: 6 pid: 433 pub: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins place: Baltimore, Maryland artinfo: ui: 189880848 189880848 189880848 10.1097/PXR.0000000000000420 189880848 ppf: 636 ppct: 9 formats: tig: atl: "A good socket fit can make you or break you": A multimethod study to explore the perceptions and experiences of socket fitting among people with lower-limb loss in Australia. aug: au: Armitage, Lucy Kark, Lauren McDonald, Kirsty A. Sparke, Darrel Ford, Belinda affil: School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia sug: subj: Amputation Australia Lower Extremity Limb Prosthesis Prosthesis Design Prosthetic Fitting Psychosocial Factors Patient Attitudes Evaluation Comfort Evaluation Patient Satisfaction Evaluation Instrument Construction Questionnaires Australia Human Male Female Amputees Psychosocial Factors Multimethod Studies Cross Sectional Studies Comparative Studies Nonparametric Statistics Thematic Analysis Descriptive Statistics Male Female ab: Background: Iterative design and modification are used to manufacture lower limb prosthetic sockets that meet users' needs while also fulfilling safety and mobility criteria. Greater understanding of the expectations of prosthesis users regarding prosthetic fit as well as their experiences at the time of socket fitting is needed. Objectives: Describe lower limb prosthesis user perceptions and experiences of socket comfort and discomfort during their last fitting and compare this to their expectations for a perfectly fitting socket and their satisfaction with the socket they had fitted. Study Design: Mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative). Methods: A questionnaire was designed and administered in consultation with Amputees NSW (an amputee advocacy group) and distributed through their membership database. Qualitative responses were analyzed to explore prosthesis user experiences of socket fitting, general wear, as well as socket comfort, discomfort, and satisfaction. Quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive, nonparametric methods. Results: Thirty participants with a range of lived experiences completed the questionnaire. Reported comfort and discomfort varied across participants and indicated that expectations and experiences of fit varied and changed over time, with some participants anticipating adjustment over time would be necessary. Qualitative analysis found experiences of prosthesis socket comfort/discomfort on the day of fitting and general experiences of socket comfort related to 2 key factors—the prosthesis itself and the individual prosthesis user. Conclusions: Understanding the experiences and expectations of prosthesis users for comfort and intended activities is central to ensure success of the socket fitting approach. Investigation into fit changes over time could provide insights into follow-up requirements, user education, and funding mechanisms. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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