customizing a socket

[mitchee]

Hi everyone. I am having my leg measured and casted next week for a new bk socket. My current socket is carbon fiber with a piece of lycra laminated on it. (I had a piece of an Olympic issue US Speedskating skinsuit laminated on it.) This will be my 3rd carbon fiber socket that I will have had personalized with lycra material laminated on it. Has anyone experienced any problems with the lycra material stretching during lamination? The design expands and changes shape. It still looks good because it is just stars and stripes but if I ever want something else, I am worried that it will become very distorted. Has anyone else had any problems with personalizing a socket or does anyone know why this happens? I would like my prosthetist to be able to make my socket without the design changing too much. Thanks.

[mitchee]

The top picture shows the material before it was laminated. The bottom picture shows how much the material stretched and changed shape when it was laminated. I ended up with very large stripes and a giant star.

The picture of the speedskater is for reference only, to show you what the skinsuit originally looked like. I did not get the skinsuit from Jennifer Rodriguez. I got it from another skater.

When the first socket was made we used a leg from the skinsuit. As you can see after lamination only the SA portion of the USA remained.

I would like to be able to customize my socket without having a great deal of change/stretching occur to the lycra material when it is laminated. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[tedatrowercpo]

It's just a question of how much the technician stretches the fabric when they draw it over the socket. Looks like your tech was worried about the fabric wrinkling during lamination and stretched it to its limit. Talk with the prosthetist and the tech about what you want in greater detail and they should be able to give it to you.

Also there is a misconception that only lycra or other synthetics can be laminated. It can be done with any fabric. We have used cotton (both pre-printed and airbrushed) many times.

[mitchee]

Thanks Ted!