OANDP-L
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
The O&P EDGE
  • PECOS
  • Magazine
    • Subscription
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • News Archive
    • Product & Service Directory
    • Advertising Information
    • EDGE Flipbooks
  • O&P Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • EDGE Advantage
    • EA Homepage
    • EA Data
  • O&P Facilities
  • Resources
    • Product & Service Directory
    • Calendar
    • Contact
    • About Us
    • O&P Library
    • The Guide
    • Custom Publications
    • Advertising Information
    • EDGE Direct
    • Amplitude Media Group
  • PECOS
  • Magazine
    • Subscription
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • News Archive
    • Product & Service Directory
    • Advertising Information
    • EDGE Flipbooks
  • O&P Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • EDGE Advantage
    • EA Homepage
    • EA Data
  • O&P Facilities
  • Resources
    • Product & Service Directory
    • Calendar
    • Contact
    • About Us
    • O&P Library
    • The Guide
    • Custom Publications
    • Advertising Information
    • EDGE Direct
    • Amplitude Media Group
No Result
View All Result
The O&P EDGE Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home News

BYU Students Create Prosthetic Socket to Aid War Victims

by The O&P EDGE
April 28, 2017
in News
0
SHARES
17
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Jarem Frye, founder of K12 Prosthetics, Park City, Utah, helped the students by testing their prototype. Photograph courtesy of Nate Edwards and BYU.

A team of Brigham Young University (BYU) engineering students have teamed with the nonprofit Engage Now Africa (ENA) to create a socket for people with transfemoral amputations that will interface with prostheses used by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Their aim is to help victims of the 1991-2002 civil warin Sierra Leone. Unlike medical amputations, the amputations inflicted by rebels resulted in difficult-to-fit residual limbs.

“In addition to the difficulty of being an amputee, the poverty in Sierra Leone limits their ability to purchase adequate sockets,” said student Zac Lichtenberg. “What we’ve created will open the door to easier manufacturing with affordable materials.”

The students designed their socket with materials and equipment that are readily available in Sierra Leone. They used a three-strut design; the struts are made of polypropylene and are custom-molded to the patient’s residual limb. The socket is secured by straps that will be attached to the side of the socket. The result is a customizable, adjustable socket that can be produced for about $40. The project was in conjunction with the BYU Mechanical Engineering Capstone program, an annual effort in which senior engineering students take on sponsored projects.

ENA has been working in Sierra Leone for ten years and focuses on efforts to strengthen families and individuals with the goal of ending poverty in Africa.

“Very few of the 27,000 amputees have prosthetics, and if they do have them, they don’t usually work,” said Lynette Gay, chairman of the board and president of ENA. “The students found the most cost-effective, most durable, and best-fitting outcome. There is no reason why this couldn’t be extremely successful.”

While Lichtenberg said the socket still needs refining, an upcoming step is for students to travel to Sierra Leone to work with physicians there to further develop the devices. Gay said the students and her organization are committed to see the project through and believes the sockets will be in use within a year.


Editor’s note: This story was adapted from materials provided by Todd Hollingshead and BYU.

Related posts:

  1. O&P Education Reaching Master’s Level and Beyond
  2. New Central Fabrication Technology Steps Onstage
  3. Program Profile Series: Century College, Francis Tuttle Technology Center, and Spokane Falls Community College
  4. BYU Students Develop Prosthetic Hand for Young Mom
Previous Post

Osseointegration, Modular Prosthetic Limb Updates Presented at AAD Symposium

Next Post

Baylor Partnership Develops New Model to Aid Sri Lankan Amputees

Next Post

Baylor Partnership Develops New Model to Aid Sri Lankan Amputees

Linkedin X-twitter Facebook

 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

 

RECENT NEWS

Get unlimited access!

Join EDGE ADVANTAGE and unlock The O&P EDGE's vast library of archived content.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY

O&P JOBS

Mountain

Certified Prosthetist Orthotist

Mountain

CPO, CP, or Resident  

Eastern

Orthotic and Prosthetic Clinics of America—Jacksonville, FL

The O&P EDGE Magazine
 
Required 'Candidate' login to applying this job. Click here to logout And try again
 

Login to your account

  • Forgot Password? | Sign Up

Reset Password

  • Already have an account? Login

Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile. A password reset link will be sent to you by email.

Signup to your Account

  • By clicking checkbox, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

    Already have an account? Login

Close
No Result
View All Result
  • PECOS
  • MAGAZINE
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • CURRENT ISSUE
    • ISSUE ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ARCHIVE
    • PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY
    • ADVERTISING INFORMATION
  • O&P JOBS
    • FIND A JOB
    • POST A JOB
  • EDGE ADVANTAGE
    • EA Homepage
    • EA Data
  • FACILITIES
  • RESOURCES
    • PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY
    • CALENDAR
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT US
    • O&P LIBRARY
    • THE GUIDE
    • CUSTOM PUBLICATIONS
    • ADVERTISING INFORMATION
    • EDGE DIRECT
    • AMPLITUDE
  • OANDP-L
  • LOGIN

© 2025 The O&P EDGE

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
 

Account Activation

Before you can login, you must activate your account with the code sent to your email address. If you did not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder. Click here to resend the activation email. If you entered an incorrect email address, you will need to re-register with the correct email address.

 

© 2024 The O&P EDGE

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • EDGE Advantage
  • OANDP-L
  • Subscribe

CONTACT US

866-613-0257

[email protected]

201 E. 4th St.
Loveland, CO 80537

The most important industry news and events delivered directly to your inbox every week.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • EDGE Advantage
  • OANDP-L
  • Subscribe

© 2025 The O&P EDGE

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
The O&P EDGE Magazine
 
Required 'Candidate' login to applying this job. Click here to logout And try again
 

Login to your account

  • Forgot Password? | Sign Up

Reset Password

  • Already have an account? Login

Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile. A password reset link will be sent to you by email.

Signup to your Account

  • By clicking checkbox, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

    Already have an account? Login

Close
No Result
View All Result
  • PECOS
  • MAGAZINE
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • CURRENT ISSUE
    • ISSUE ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ARCHIVE
    • PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY
    • ADVERTISING INFORMATION
  • O&P JOBS
    • FIND A JOB
    • POST A JOB
  • EDGE ADVANTAGE
    • EA Homepage
    • EA Data
  • FACILITIES
  • RESOURCES
    • PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY
    • CALENDAR
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT US
    • O&P LIBRARY
    • THE GUIDE
    • CUSTOM PUBLICATIONS
    • ADVERTISING INFORMATION
    • EDGE DIRECT
    • AMPLITUDE
  • OANDP-L
  • LOGIN

© 2025 The O&P EDGE

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
 

Account Activation

Before you can login, you must activate your account with the code sent to your email address. If you did not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder. Click here to resend the activation email. If you entered an incorrect email address, you will need to re-register with the correct email address.