Dear List:
Thanks to all of you who responded. I should have mentioned that we had already eliminated the two most obvious choices: the Lanyard System and the Coyote Lock. The patient rejected both. There were some interesting suggestions, and at least one manufacturer and one private practitioner offered their own versions, the former a pre-production prototype. Here are the suggestions:
(We) have come up with a cable release for the Fillauer shuttle lock. It works real well for those pateints with lack of dexterity or mobility. As far as I know we are the only ones that have this system. There was a fellow out in california that came up with something for the Cascade shuttle lock but I was unable to locate him or any replacement parts.
I’ve heard of prosthetists attaching UE cable to a shuttle lock that you pull instead of pushing the plunger to release. I know PDI sells this style of lock. You could also consider the Summit Lock, which is like a ski boot binding you attach to the side of the liner and socket.
I cobbled together a remote-pin-lock-release for a transtibial patient.
I used a release lever from a Daw locking knee mounted to the lateral
ear of the socket. He could not manipulate the Otto Bock Release handle.
I used the 1/16″ cable that came with the knee unlock mechanism. That
cable lasted about two years, and is not available without the knee, so
I am replacing it with Otto Bock perlon cable. The cable is routed
distally through cable housing, then curves around the distal end of the
socket and enters the release button (Ossur 600 series ratchet lock, if
I remember correctly) from the back side. When the patient pulls on the
handle, the cable pulls the button into the unlock position.
You might consider fashioning a simple lever out of a thin piece of bar stock that pivots in the coronal plane (the same plane as the release button) with an axis point somewhere in the calf area and wraps arround the contours of the leg to reach the release button distally. The bar sock proximal to the pivot point would then just follow the contours of the midline of the calf and be pushed medially to depress the release button.
I’ve not seen one but it seems you could create one using a trigger release from Becker. You would have to bring the cable’s line of pull in from behind the lock. From there bring a loop of cable around the lock and across the release button. More complicated to build but maybe more elegant would be to drill the back side of the release housing and attach the cable internally to the release component so that the cable pulled the release mechanism rather than pushing it.
Not a remote release But a cable release much like the ones used with cameras , only more havy duty . Good luck.
(We) have a prototype that works with our smooth pin system (any really). Would require confidentially agreement and waiver of liability, but (we) could do it for you. (Manufacturer)
Thanks to all of you. I now have some creative work to do.
Jim Rogers, CPO, FAAOP
