A team of Johns Hopkins University students, working with a Johns Hopkins physician and outside experts, has designed a prosthetic fit for high heels. The "Prominence" foot adapts to popular fashion for heels up to four inches high.

A heel-adjustment mechanism features two interlocking aluminum disks that open and close with an attached lever at the ankle. To create the ankle, the team used an off-the-shelf hydraulic unit; the device enables a smooth gait and flexing at the sole.

With some 2,100 American women who lost a leg or foot in military service, and more women entering combat assignments, the demand for a prosthesis that accommodates women’s fashion footwear will likely grow. The students — who created the Prominence as their final senior project in mechanical engineering — hope their work can help.

Using four types of women’s shoes — including a gold five-and-a-half inch stiletto — the team had the foot tested by seven people. Three were amputees; four were non-amputees who attached the foot to the bottom of a bulky boot.

An adjustable ankle is useful in contexts even beyond high heels, opening up opportunities for the wearing of a variety of shoes, including ballet flats, sneakers, and boots.

Source 

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    This article first appeared in the August, 2016 issue of Medical Design Briefs Magazine (Vol. 6 No. 8).

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