Through improved education, outcomes can be enhanced, and through improved outcomes, lives can be empowered and improved. As prosthetic designs, components, materials and types of prostheses are discussed in this introductory article, please keep in mind that the discussion is an overview or introduction. More detail will follow on each of these subjects in successive articles. This endosketal hip-disarticulation prosthesis is constructed from several modular components. Here if is shown without ifs cosmetic cover.
Modern prostheses consist of a variety of parts commonly referred to as components.
Prosthetists no longer manufacture every part of a prosthesis as was done earlier in this century. Rather, prosthetists and their technicians use a series of manufactured components to assemble an entire prosthesis. There are still some aspects of the prosthesis that are custom fabricated or manufactured within the prosthetist's laboratory, but most of the components of a prosthesis are readily available from manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of prosthetic supplies and components. There are two basic types of prosthetic designs, exoskeletal and endoskeletal. Even though they provide many of the same functions, they are made very differently.