Low-Cost Prosthetic Limbs for the Developing World
A UK inventor is hoping his novel prosthetic limb invention will help amputees in the developing world.
Ed Pennington-Ridge has designed a prosthetic leg that can be made for less than $127 using easily accessible materials.
The design helps to improve mobility with a springy foot and a more mobile ankle.
Speaking to an interviewer from the BBC, the inventor said: “It's got to be a nice springy prosthesis that is easy to produce at the right price, something that can be mended easily, something where the materials are going to last for a long time, in storage at very high temperatures.”
High-Activity/Low-Cost Prosthetics
In some parts of the developing world, amputations are found in disproportionately high levels in young men which can be the result of several reasons such as conflicts an accidents on mopeds, which is a common form of travel. Cheap, robust and flexible prosthetics will allow them to return to their active and independent lives.
Last year, trials took place in at the Tanzania Training Centre for Orthopedic Technologists involving 20 subjects. One of them was a young Maasai man, a cattle herder who worked in a harsh environment. He reported that he was able to enjoy much more freedom of movement when he traveled with his cattle.
Help for Refugees
The innovation has also caught the attention of the International Refugee Trust which would like hi-cost and low-cost prosthetics to be made available to refugees who are amputees to help them regain their mobility and dignity.
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