Polycentric Knee Prosthesis With Carbon Fabric Reinforced Polymer: Fabrication and Structural Evaluation

Abstract

A prosthetic knee is an important, functional, dynamic component of a transfemoral prosthesis. This paper details a step-by-step fabrication procedure for a passive polycentric knee using carbon-fabric-reinforced polymer in a sequential order. The Solidworks® 2022 software package was used for part modelling and assembling. The three-dimensional model developed was the base for planning, visual ideation, feasibility assessment and physical prototyping. The parts of the composite knee were manufactured using a vacuum-assisted resin-infusion method. The moulds for the infusion process were designed and developed by fused-deposition modelling. The experimental static structural testing was performed in accordance with the ISO 10328 standard to evaluate the structural strength of the prosthetic knee.