| The objective of this project was to design a more effective paediatric prosthetic knee joint by structuring the design process. A design technique, referred to as Quality Functional Deployment (QFD), was uniquely incorporated in the development of the prosthetic component. The most important functional requirements identified in the study were increased comfort, decreased probability of tripping and increased stability during stance. A unique knee joint design was created on the basis of a mechanism that has greater functionality and is less complex than paediatric knee joints currently on the market. Mathematical modeling was used to simulate the most important design parameters, including knee stability during the stance-phase. Foot-clearance models were developed for the concept knee and three other commercially available paediatric prosthetic knees. The modeling provided insights into the functionality of the knee in terms of increased range of stance-phase stability and foot-clearance. A prototype was constructed and the stance-phase model was validated. |
