This case report describes a newly developed prosthetic arm for a world class trans-humeral amputee cyclist. The proposed solution consists of a new prosthetic kit that was designed to meet requirements of weight, freedom of movement and precise positioning for the disciplines of time-trial, pursuit, road and team sprint. The kit is made of different attachments that can be changed depending on the event the athlete is competing in. The prosthesis is composed of an extended socket made of composite materials, an arm made of aluminum tubes, a universal joint for the junction with the handlebars and different attachments for each bicycle. The system's weight is kept to a minimum using finite element analysis and careful material selection. The universal joint provides the angular degrees of freedom required to allow the athlete to stand up while pedaling, a freedom of movement lost since amputation. In this case report, the athlete's needs are presented and followed by the design of the product using Finite Element modeling. Results are then presented and discussed. This prosthetic kit was used by the athlete for the 2008 Paralympics games in Beijing.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. This disease includes chronic total occlusion (CTO), which is a complete blockage of an artery. Unlike partial occlusions, CTOs are difficult to cross percutaneously using conventional guidewires (thin and flexible wires) because of the fibrotic and calcified nature of the blockage. The lack of data regarding the mechanical properties of CTO limits the development of new technologies in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and percutaneous peripheral intervention (PPI). In this study, calcified plaques retrieved from occluded arteries are analyzed in order to better understand their mechanical properties and to help propose an artificial analogue. Calcified plaques samples were collected from the superficial femoral artery wall within one hour following a lower limb amputation surgery. These samples were studied to determine their composition and mechanical properties. The same characterization procedures were performed on various potential artificial analogues. These analogues include three plaster materials and dense hydroxyapatite blocks. The results were then compared with those of the calcified plaques in order to determine the more favorable analogue. This mechanical analysis and the proposal of a potential analogue for the calcified plaques found in occluded arteries could benefit the development of new technologies and devices in the field PCI and PPI.

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