The following are responses to my question regarding a peg leg for an
actor in a theatrical production:
The job in hand is quite easy to accomplish. The actor has to have his
leg
in extreme flexion while wearing the peg leg. The peg leg is a wooden
piece
with a cup on top in which the actor kneels (give him a little padding).
The
cup extents anterior to the top of the thigh where a band fixes it and
the
ankle all in one. You might use a second strap further down.
For optic remember the peg legs have been rough carved wooden things with
lots of wear on them. Provide him with a rubber end so he does not slip.
We do not use peg legs in China these days, but I have theatrical
experience
and have done some things for film and stage.
Have fun and get a free ticket.
Great project as well as experiential education for the actor. My father,
who was also a prosthetist, made a design that was successful for a
Halloween costume that I wore in my youth. My knee was completely flexed
and
strapped to the back of my thigh, a padded socket (maybe 6″ deep) with a
lateral bar and pelvic band were included. For a more artistic flair add
the
“Ferrier” coupling and a nice piece of turned hickory wood ( I once saw
an
individual walking on a street in Boston with a wooden peg leg that was
inlaid with brass and teak circular bands). Best of luck! As I remember
the
actor will need to do a lot of stretching between scenes.
Sounds like you’ve got an entertaining deviation from the norm. No pun
intended. I have made a few peg legs over the years and bent knee
prostheses as well. My
first thought is a carbon-fiber shell with lateral struts (uprights). I
would then fab a
leather thigh cuff with ant. and post. openings, both with a tongue.
Then I’d use three
to four wide leather straps ( 1 1/2″ – 2″ ) with brass harness buckles (
for authenticity
of course). Maybe have the ant. section be non-funtional, for looks
only. The strap to
hold the actors leg up and across his bottom needs to be separate in
order to not be too much to deal with for the “dueling peg-leg” scene.
Yeah, sounds like fun to me. Good luck.
Made a halloween costume similar to this, I cast my thigh with my leg
bent
fully behind me causing a knee disartic type of look, this was
comfortable
enough as you actually were sitting on your knee, a padded end peice was
incorporated and fabruicated out of polypro, with wooden dowl for peg.
Also
took a large cup that fist would fit and placed a hook on the end, just
needed a tri-corn hat to be like long john silver
I’ve actually done a peg leg for an actor. I used a wooden baseball bat.
The handle end down. I turned down the proximal end on a lathe and
positioned it in a block of wood and then made what basically amount to a
bent knee prosthesis with aluminum side bars, prox and dist thigh bands
and
straps for closures.
For the terminal device check out the all terrain peg foot made by
Seattle Limb System. This would absorb some of the impact and make it a
little bit more comfortable as contrasted to a crutch tip.
Fun project! I have made one for the local Theatre Co. which worked well
in
a couple of productions.
Actor straps leg up with a belt around thigh and ankle (uncomfortable for
any but the flexible and fit). I turned up a wooden peg with a 4″ top
attached a padded seat for the knee. A webbing strap belted through the
angle of the femur and lower leg. Takes practice to walk on and is not
for
long periods, but it works. Good idea to put a crutch tip rubber stopper
on
the end because they skid all over the place.
Camera angles will handle the able bodied part to amputee. The one that
J
Doyle Sims CPO uses sometimes is made of oak 1″ wider than knee M-L, 2 ”
thick ant. to post. with a 2″ x 1 3/4″ peg that has a cat’s paw type
walking
surface of the same dimensions. The medial and lateral struts were
staight up
to follow the wood grain for strength. The medial side was two thirds the
lengthof inside thigh and the lateral side was to within two inches of
his
trochanter. The struts wereant. to post. and 5/8″ wide M-L with channels
cut
thru them to allow 2″ cotton webbing to spiral up his thigh to hold the
peg
leg on with a webbing buckle. If you want a drawing e-mail me a fax
number or
you can call Doyle Sims at Sims Prosthetics and Rehab in Jackson MS. Be
careful he can get long winded about what a great guy he is. I helped a
little with Tom Cruise’s KAFOS for “Born on the Fourth of July”. He
hacksawed
the top thigh band area off for “family reasons” please consider this is
a
prop too when you build your peg leg for 15 minutes of fame. GOOD LUCK
