Prosthetic comfort involves more than one challenge
A prosthetic socket can feel completely different from one part of the day to another.
Residual limb volume can change. Heat can build up inside the liner. Sweat and humidity can increase. A socket that felt comfortable in the morning may require adjustments later in the day.
At Ethnocare, we develop prosthetic solutions around these everyday challenges.
Our current ecosystem includes the Overlay TT, Overlay TF and Underlay, along with accessories designed to make using and maintaining these products easier.
Overlay TT: managing transtibial residual limb volume changes
Residual limb volume can fluctuate throughout the day because of activity, time, fluid movement and other factors.
Traditionally, one way of compensating for these changes has been to add or remove prosthetic socks.
The Ethnocare Overlay TT offers another way to manage these fluctuations.
The Overlay is a thin pneumatic interface worn over the prosthetic liner and inside the socket. Users can add or release air to adjust the fit as their residual limb changes throughout the day.
Instead of repeatedly removing the prosthesis to change sock thickness, the pneumatic system allows the user to make an adjustment directly through the Overlay.
The goal is to provide greater control over socket fit while continuing to use the existing prosthesis.
Overlay TF: volume management for transfemoral users
Residual limb volume changes are not limited to transtibial amputees.
The Overlay TF brings the same adjustable pneumatic principle to transfemoral prosthetic users with a design developed for the different geometry and fitting requirements of an above-knee socket.
Air can be added or released throughout the day to help compensate for changes in residual limb volume and fine-tune the fit inside the socket.
Both Overlay designs are intended to complement the prosthetic setup rather than replace the liner or socket.
Underlay: managing heat, sweat and humidity
Volume fluctuation is only part of the comfort equation.
Heat and moisture can accumulate underneath a prosthetic liner, particularly during physical activity or warmer weather.
The Ethnocare Underlay is a lightweight textile interface worn underneath the prosthetic liner to help manage heat, sweat and humidity.
Its moisture-wicking construction helps move moisture away from the skin, while the breathable evaporation area is designed to allow moisture to escape once it reaches the portion above the liner.
The Underlay is available in Open and Closed configurations, allowing clinicians and users to select the design that is most appropriate for their suspension system.
The Underlay Open also maintains direct distal skin-to-liner contact, an important consideration when we developed the product for users concerned about liner traction.
Accessories designed around everyday use
We also continue to improve the experience around our core products.
The external pump provides a simple and faster way to add air to the Overlay.
The valve cover helps protect the pneumatic valve area from dust and debris during everyday use.
The External Band secure the main air channel for the Overlay TF
These may be smaller components, but prosthetic comfort often depends on details that make products easier to use, maintain and integrate into daily life.
Building solutions around the challenges that remain
The Overlay addresses residual limb volume management.
The Underlay addresses heat, sweat and humidity.
But these are not the only challenges people with limb loss experience.
Ethnocare continues to work with amputees, prosthetists and clinical partners to better understand what is still missing from current prosthetic care and develop products around those needs.
Our product ecosystem will continue to grow.
Stay connected with Ethnocare to see what we are developing next.
And if you are considering the Overlay or Underlay, speak with your prosthetist to determine which product and configuration are appropriate for your prosthetic setup.
