Design analysis of the four-bar Jaipur-Stanford prosthetic knee for Developing countries

Abstract

Amputees in developing countries face a challenging prospect. Without an adequate prosthesis, they face a lifetime of limited mobility and dependence. Unfortunately, as millions fall below the poverty line and as such do not have access to proper medical and prosthesis care, many must resign themselves to such a lifestyle. Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) is attempting to change this. BMVSS is the world's leading prosthetics and mobility provider, serving over 20,000 new individuals per year - all free of charge - in 27 countries. Through a partnership with a Stanford design course, the Jaipur-Stanford Knee, a novel prosthetic knee incorporating a four-bar design, was born. This knee design has become widely popular amongst amputees and was named one of the top 50 best inventions in 2009 by Time Magazine. However, despite the popularity and widespread media coverage of the knee's development, there currently exists no available technical literature on the design. This research provides a kinematic model of this knee to compare to the dynamics of a natural gait along with a materials analysis to offer insight into design and manufacture improvements in future design iterations and concepts.