Liners, Liners, Liners!

[foxdavis]

Hey Everyone,

New to the forum, second post but I wanted to do a lot more research on my own then what my prosthetist has time for. I need to learn a lot about different liners and how well you like them. Almost like a review of liners because we as patients can't just try them all on. It's crazy that we have to be pretty much stuck with what the prosthetist carries.

When I was working with hanger I was on Ohio Willow Wood and they didn't seem to hold up that long and also the quality wasn't there all the time. But I dealt with it for many years until my prosthetist at Hanger left. So I was without a prosthetist. Looked around at who was close to me and I found a great prosthetist that makes the best feeling sockets I have ever had. But...

Davidson's Prosthetics in Puyallup, Wa is amazing. He likes using Ossur as do so many other prosthetists. I was first on the Ossur Dermo which is super soft but the silken inner surface oil they use would make me sweat even if I was just standing in the Sun. Never had I experienced this and I couldn't deal with it. I'm pretty active so he moved me to the Ossur Sport which didn't really have a sweating issue but I just don't like how stiff they are. I got mine broken in pretty good now but the fabric covering has some holes and once those start, it's almost over. It spreads really fast.

Right now I am trying to look at different locking liners that Greg can order for me so let me know what liners you use and how well you like them. If your active and how they hold up. I really think there should be a way for you to try everyone out without having the prosthetist make test socket after test socket.

I have tried these to no avail.

1. Uniprox Softskin Air
2. OWW Alpha SmartTemp
3. Ossur Dermo
4. Ossur Sport

Looking to try:

1. ESP AEGIS SoFlex
2. FILLAUER Absolute
3. SILIPOS Duragel?
4. Alps Superior Performance

If you are a manufacture of liners and are reading this, give all your prosthetists some free liners to try so they aren't stuck with shipping cost or socket costs because some liners don't fit some patients. We need options without the strain on our prosthetists!, and us

Thanks

[snowyh]

Hi, Fox, and welcome to the forum. Sorry I can't contribute anything to your quest for liners (as I don't wear a prosthesis), but I did want to compliment you on a well-written post and wish you the best on your research.

Helen

[stonecutter]

I'm an OWW Alpha locking liner guy. It's been so long since I was on a different liner I can't even remember what make/model I've tried in the past.

I would be interested in what your observations are on whatever you have tried / or are about to try.

[murg]

Hello, I am Steve, everyone calls me Murg - short form on the surname, and I am an AKA from a motorcycle accident Aug of 2015.  I have been very lucky so far because what the prosthetist has given me worked quite well - the Ossur Seal in X.  It is a vacuum style with an adjustable gasket - I can position the gasket virtually anywhere on my liner as is comfortable.  The liner and gasket are not exclusive, so they can change the size of the gasket as needed without a new liner.  The gasket is likely less expensive than a whole liner too (I live in Canada, the costs associated with prosthetics are covered, and I am a member of the Canadian Armed Forces - our internal medical coverage is pretty damned good too - I am very lucky).

[stonecutter]

Welcome Murg. (From Edmonton, here...)

[mike5plus5]

Hi Fox and welcome. And hi again everyone else. I haven't been around in a while. I've been searching for what works for me too Fox. I'm LAE and RBK. My first BK liner was Ossur Iceross Seal-in V, which was a headache for me for 2 reasons 1- Had intermittent problems with the seal lip sealing against the socket inner wall. Re-positioning the seal always required doffing/donning along with the lube required. 2 - With my manual vacuum pump (foot mounted, Ossur LP Vari-flex foot) any extended amount of time not actively walking (pump pumping), the prosthetic would become loose and out of place requiring doffing/donning. This mainly happened with me when I was working on machinery, such as lying under a car/truck. So my next (current) leg includes a total contact socket with a pinlock (Coyote CD117, vacuum-capable), with an Ossur Iceross Comfort Locking liner (silicone, pin-lock type). I retained the elevated vacuum with this socket via Ottobock Pro-Flex outer sleeve providing a hybrid suspension system. I still wear this hybrid leg, usually as EV-only via removing / unscrewing the pin from the liner, then donning. I am however not very happy with the way the silicone is not as 'forgiving' on my skin, bony prominences, and the distal end of my tibia as urethane is reported to be, so I'm in the process of having a new leg built. The new liner is Ottobock urethane custom (1 of which has already been made). I go back for my second fitting on my new TSWB socket on Feb 2. The new leg will be EV only via Ottobock Pro-flex sleeve and will use an Ottobock P2 piston type pump, and I will likely move away from the LP type of foot in favor of something with more dynamic energy storage-ability in order to get more 'toe-off' push when walking. I'll test several feet before making a decision which foot to use next.
My previous prosthetist was with Hanger. I decided to go with a different prosthetist and a smaller company this time. He is more experienced with upper extremity prosthesis and is in the process of also building a new socket system for my myo-electric arm.
We'll see how this goes, but so far I'm impressed.