Here's a new one...

[stonecutter]

The latest thing we're trying on my BKA prosthetic is a pin lock system, with a sleeve. So suction + liner = good!

EXCEPT: As you may be able to tell from my photos - I'm a big guy. The air seal on the pin lock button out the side isn't enough to keep air from rushing in and out. So my next set up will have a different pin lock which allows for the concealed release button that they can seal. (Had it before - it's beauty...)

Second issue: I seem to have contracted a head cold from my infectious 2.5 year old daughter. Last night I had a hot bath to try to clear my sinuses... Worked well. Got out of the tub, dried off, stood there as I put my liner and socks on, clicked into the leg. Went about my evening (dishes, etc...). Went up to bed, couldn't get the pin lock to release. There wasn't anything I could do.

I sat there on the bed, with the wife pulling to no avail. I have my prosthetist's home number but wonder if this is really emergent enough to contact him at 11:15PM for an appointment. I considered shooting some baby oil in there and easing the leg off my stump, but I needed to work in the morning and wasn't sure how long it would be until I could crutch it into the lab to have it worked on.

So... I slept in my leg last night. I was okay for the first couple of hours. Got up in the 2:00AM hour to try to get it off again, as it was painful on my knee. Woke up said 2.5 year old daughter, and then the wife of course... no one was impressed except I'm sure the dog who thought having a middle of the night party was a great idea!

Pacified the daughter by letting her sleep with us... In a queen bed. Sideways. With her usual varied entourage of a blanket, dolls, stuffed Elmo, small snake, frog, teddy bear.

Woke up this morning, straightened out the leg that was on a little sideways. Stared at it for a bit, giving it the stink-eye as I failed to achieve it's release once again. Washed up and faced the day.

Once at work, contacted my guy who proceeded to give me supreme (CENSORED) because I didn't call him at 11:15PM and arranged for an immediate appointment. Once at the shop, I rolled up my pant leg and he took the pin lock apart to see the 2 ply sock wrapped around the barbed pin.

Whoa. Oops. When I was quickly putting my leg on after the bath, I didn't take enough care to ensure that the pin was free and clear of the fabric of the sock.

He had to actually break the barbs off in order to get it freed.

I was embarrassed, but at least I found out how to disassemble the pin lock and free myself if this happens again. I was informed that this was the only second time he's encountered this problem in his near 25 year career.

[cherylm]

I've only had something "similar" happen once in my life...and once was MORE than enough! In my case, the sock that got wrapped around the pin was at least stuck down inside a socket which was far too large for me. (We were working on a new socket at the time....) So I was able to twist and wriggle the socket around until I could see what was tying up the pin...and then I had enough room to shove something (all right, it was a long metal skewer...and yeah, I do know better than to try that now) down into the socket and use it tear the sock away from the pin.

Sounds like your socket was too tight to try the "shove a metal skewer down it" system...which is probably a good thing! Also good that you learned how to take the pin lock apart for the future...that probably would have been good for me to learn, too!

BTW, I currently wear a combo of a pin-lock system with a suspension sleeve. It took several years for my leg guy to talk me into it, but I now really love it. Hope it works for you!

[thegimp]

Jun 21, 2012 9:35:59 GMT -7 stonecutter said:

The latest thing we're trying on my BKA prosthetic is a pin lock system, with a sleeve. So suction + liner = good!

EXCEPT: As you may be able to tell from my photos - I'm a big guy. The air seal on the pin lock button out the side isn't enough to keep air from rushing in and out. So my next set up will have a different pin lock which allows for the concealed release button that they can seal. (Had it before - it's beauty...)

Second issue: I seem to have contracted a head cold from my infectious 2.5 year old daughter. Last night I had a hot bath to try to clear my sinuses... Worked well. Got out of the tub, dried off, stood there as I put my liner and socks on, clicked into the leg. Went about my evening (dishes, etc...). Went up to bed, couldn't get the pin lock to release. There wasn't anything I could do.

I sat there on the bed, with the wife pulling to no avail. I have my prosthetist's home number but wonder if this is really emergent enough to contact him at 11:15PM for an appointment. I considered shooting some baby oil in there and easing the leg off my stump, but I needed to work in the morning and wasn't sure how long it would be until I could crutch it into the lab to have it worked on.

So... I slept in my leg last night. I was okay for the first couple of hours. Got up in the 2:00AM hour to try to get it off again, as it was painful on my knee. Woke up said 2.5 year old daughter, and then the wife of course... no one was impressed except I'm sure the dog who thought having a middle of the night party was a great idea!

Pacified the daughter by letting her sleep with us... In a queen bed. Sideways. With her usual varied entourage of a blanket, dolls, stuffed Elmo, small snake, frog, teddy bear.

Woke up this morning, straightened out the leg that was on a little sideways. Stared at it for a bit, giving it the stink-eye as I failed to achieve it's release once again. Washed up and faced the day.

Once at work, contacted my guy who proceeded to give me supreme (CENSORED) because I didn't call him at 11:15PM and arranged for an immediate appointment. Once at the shop, I rolled up my pant leg and he took the pin lock apart to see the 2 ply sock wrapped around the barbed pin.

Whoa. Oops. When I was quickly putting my leg on after the bath, I didn't take enough care to ensure that the pin was free and clear of the fabric of the sock.

He had to actually break the barbs off in order to get it freed.

I was embarrassed, but at least I found out how to disassemble the pin lock and free myself if this happens again. I was informed that this was the only second time he's encountered this problem in his near 25 year career.

what lock system do you have, that air escaping mean you have a good seal and a good fit, plus its the nature of the beast there are some ways of dealing with this but depending on the lock and how tight you are some will work and some wont. you being a bka might weigh different then mine being aka but i dont think it should.

as far as the sock getting stuck in the lock i here its not that uncomon. you do need to follow up with your practitioner and make sure your alignment is on still and locktight it and torque it to specks. also next time this happens call your practitioner right away and he should be able to walk you thru different methods to getting the leg off.
i might just be lucky on this but me and my practitioner are always in touch, im constantly running things by her whether questions or ideas and i got her phone numbers for those just in cases and she has even came to my house a few times.

[barclay]

I was warned over and over to be careful about threads etc getting into the pin lock mechanism so I think it's a pretty common occurrence - not something you should feel bad about having happened !

The pin lock system works well for me - hope that you have the same luck !