Fit, maintenance, heel height
Silicone toe and foot prostheses
Your toe or foot prosthesis essentially consists of a socket to accommodate the residual limb and a toe or forefoot replacement for functional and cosmetic compensation of the missing foot region. The prosthesis design is individually tailored to your needs.
Fit
The optimal fit of your toe or foot prosthesis is essential. If it is not right, painful pressure points and skin irritations will result. That's why we first build you a trial fitting, with the help of which we work out the optimal residual limb bedding. The definitive prosthesis is not fabricated until you can walk with your trial prosthesis without pain for a longer period of time.
Incidentally, it can happen that the volume of your residual limb fluctuates due to physical changes. If this affects the fit of the prosthesis, please contact us immediately.
In the case of a double-sided restoration, make sure that the right-sided and left-sided prosthesis are not interchanged.
Adhesion properties
The socket and the toe or forefoot replacement of your prosthesis are made of flexible silicone, the shape of which is precisely adapted to the conditions of your residual limb. Your prosthesis is held in place solely by the adhesive properties of the silicone material (adhesion). The prerequisite for these adhesive properties is that there is no permanent separating layer (e.g. fat, oil, powder, etc.) between the skin and the silicone.
A water-based donning aid (gel) can be used to facilitate donning of the prosthesis. This donning aid removes the adhesive properties of the silicone for a short time so that you can slide into the prosthesis.
Stump care
It is important to care for the residual limb daily. To prevent skin irritation, both the residual limb and the prosthesis should be carefully cleaned with skin-friendly soap after each use and then dried.
During the initial acclimatization to a silicone prosthesis, increased sweating may occur during the first few weeks. As a rule, the skin's perspiration normalizes by itself as it becomes accustomed to the silicone material. We advise you to use moisturizing care products after the acclimatization phase to protect the skin from drying out.
Attention: The application of greasing substances must be done after the use of the prosthesis, because they can reduce the adhesive properties of the prosthesis as soon as they get into the socket.
Special care products (e.g. PC30V) have proven effective for hardening the residual limb skin. If complaints occur, please discuss all measures for residual limb treatment and residual limb hygiene with your doctor.
Heel height
If you wear a foot prosthesis, the heel height of your shoe has of course also been taken into account during manufacture. Therefore, you should never use your prosthesis without shoes.
When buying a new shoe, make sure that the heel height specified by the manufacturer is adhered to.
In case of a change of the heel height you should contact us. Please note in this context that the "effective heel height" is decisive, i.e. the difference in height between the sole thickness in the heel area and the sole thickness in the forefoot area.
Please discuss with your orthopedic technician which heel height and shape is possible in relation to your residual limb level.
Dressing instructions
How to put on and take off your silicone prosthesis
Correct tightening of the prosthesis is very important, because you can only use the prosthesis without complaints if the socket is optimally positioned on your residual limb. If you have any problems or questions regarding the donning process, please contact your orthopaedic technician.
To put on the toe or foot prosthesis, spread some water-soluble lotion on the surface of the residual limb. Water-soluble substances allow short-term sliding between the residual limb and socket until the lotion is absorbed. Greasy substances, on the other hand, are not suitable because they cause a permanent sliding movement between the residual limb and socket.
Now you can slide your residual limb into the prosthesis socket. Make sure that no air pockets remain between the residual limb and the socket, as these can lead to annoying noises and skin irritations. Then put a stocking and a shoe over the prosthesis.
For foot prostheses: Pull the heel cap of your prosthesis around your heel without wrinkles or air pockets. To remove the prosthesis, run your finger between the residual limb skin and the socket to allow some air to enter and slip out of the prosthesis.
For toe prostheses with skin adhesive: A thin layer of medical skin adhesive should be applied to both the stump of the toe and the shaft of the prosthesis. After a drying time of one minute, the prosthesis can be adapted to the stump of the toe or foot in the correct position. After removing the prosthesis, the areas on the residual limb and prosthesis socket that are covered with skin adhesive should be cleaned with the adhesive remover provided and water.
After each use, the residual limb and silicone socket should be carefully washed and dried.
You should know this
General information
Before each use, please check whether your prosthesis is in an undamaged and functional condition. The toe or foot prosthesis must be put on according to the instructions given by your orthopaedic technician to ensure a secure fit on the body - without pumping movements.
When putting on the prosthesis, make sure that the skin around the edge of the prosthesis is not pinched. Make sure that your toe or foot prosthesis is firmly in place each time you put it on.
Particularly in the case of a first-time fitting, you must learn how to use the toe or foot prosthesis. You must be trained to put on and take off the prosthesis, to sit, to stand, to move around and even to fall. Your doctor can give you further advice on prosthetic training. If problems occur despite error-free handling, please contact us immediately.
Your prosthesis should always fit without causing any discomfort. Nevertheless, in rare cases, pressure points may occur, your skin may become irritated and there may be chafing or edema. Since this can lead to complications, please contact us immediately.
Sensitivity disorders, especially in conjunction with wound healing disorders (e.g. diabetic disease), require special attention. A daily visual and palpatory check of the residual limb (possibly with the help of a mirror or a caregiver) is imperative. Even if there are minor signs of skin damage, you should immediately contact your doctor and then us.
Due to the very tight seal between the silicone and the skin surface, consistent adherence to care and hygiene measures is very important. To prevent skin irritation, both the residual limb and the prosthesis (especially the inner socket) must be carefully washed and dried after each use. In general, normal cleaning with a damp cloth and pH-neutral soap is quite sufficient. If disinfection of your prosthesis is necessary, the following skin-compatible agents are suitable:
- Sagrotan spray
- Kodan spray (caution: Kodan contains isopropanol and therefore "burns" in open wounds!)
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
Make sure that no residues of the disinfectant remain on the prosthesis. If you have any questions about skin diseases and disinfection, please consult your doctor.
After the cleaning process, the prosthesis should be rinsed thoroughly several times to prevent soap residue from being deposited on the inner wall.
In case of heavy contamination and deposits, the silicone toe or foot prosthesis can be boiled in boiling water for approx. 8 to 10 min and disinfected.
Warning: Do not treat your prosthesis with harsh cleaning agents or solvents! This may damage the surfaces.
In the interest of your own safety, you should keep your regular check-up appointments to avoid damage to your prosthesis. Please pay attention to any changes in the material of your prosthesis and, if necessary, contact us to arrange a repair appointment.
If you do not comply with the scheduled maintenance intervals, the liability of our orthopaedic technical specialist company in the event of damage is limited and may possibly be waived altogether. Our liability extends exclusively to the product as delivered by us. It only extends to services that have been performed by us.
Reasons for an unscheduled inspection are e.g. increased noise, wear or malfunctions.
Environmental protection is an important concern for us. Therefore we ask you to hand in your old prosthesis for disposal. Thank you very much!