Table 2 Definitions of design characteristic groups extracted from results
A) Principle of adjustability | Brief description | Design distribution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Literature | Industry designs (N = 16) | ||||
Articles (N = 50) | Designs (N = 35) | ||||
Inflatable bladders | A rigid socket containing one or more fluid/air-filled bladders, whose pressure can be adjusted to alter their volume and consequently the internal socket geometry | 17 (34.0%) | 14 (40.0%) | 1 (6.3%) | |
Moveable panels | Floating | A rigid socket containing one or more adjustable panels whose position translate radially when adjusted | 14 (28.0%) | 8 (22.9%) | 4 (25.0%) |
Hinged | A rigid socket containing one or more adjustable panels whose positions rotate into contact with the residuum when adjusted | 3 (6.0%) | 3 (8.6%) | 1 (6.3%) | |
Circumferential adjustment | Gap/Overlap | Sockets which can be adjusted by altering their internal circumference by the socket walls either moving or flexing, either at a specific height or throughout the whole height of the socket | 9 (18.0%) | 7 (20.0%) | 8 (50.0%) |
Struts | 9 (18.0%) | 4 (11.4%) | 4 (25.0%) | ||
Variable length | A socket whose internal volume can be varied by changing its length | 4 (8.0%) | 4 (11.4%) | 4 (25.0%) | |
B) Surface form | Brief description | N = 50 | N = 35 | N = 15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conformable | A soft surface profile whose shape deforms to match the residuum upon contact | 18 (36.0%) | 16 (45.7%) | 6 (40.0%) | |
Rigid | Multi-DOF | A rigid surface which can accommodate small movements in one or more degrees of freedom (DOF) upon contact with the residuum | 8 (16.0%) | 5 (14.3%) | 3 (20.0%) |
Single DOF | A rigid surface which is fixed in all DOF except for its predefined movement governed by the control mechanism in the adjustable socket | 24 (48.0%) | 14 (40.0%) | 6 (40.0%) | |