The prosthetic foot makes a difference for your fitting success

Overview

It’s more than a prosthetic foot. It’s a foundation.

The prosthetic foot makes everything else possible. Whether you‘re an above or below knee amputee, the quality and performance of your whole prosthesis will be impacted by the quality and performance of the prosthetic foot.

With a wide range of Ottobock prosthetic feet you can be sure that together with your prosthetist will find the one prosthetic foot fitting to your personal needs. Whether it is a foot made out of carbon or it is a microprocessor-controlled foot – our whole portfolio is based on the same idea: building a foundation. We take our responsibility seriously. When choosing a prosthetic foot from Ottobock, you can be sure that each one is designed with passion, in compliance with highest quality standards and always with your needs in mind.

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Your suitable prosthetic foot

How you and your prosthetist will select the right prosthetic foot

Please note: Choosing a prosthetic foot that best suits your personal requirements, needs and goals is a complex task. Your prosthetist is an expert in this field. Thanks to their education, experience and biomechanical knowledge, they will choose the prosthetic foot that helps achieve the best possible fitting outcome for you individually. The information provided in this section only serve as a guidance. Please contact your prosthetist if you have more detailed questions.

Personal factors

Apart from all the technical selection criteria, your prosthetist will keep in mind your personal needs, living situation and goals when choosing the foot prosthesis. These factors might be the desire to participate in sports activities or the ability to paint your toenails. These are of great importance because your prosthetic foot should be like an extension of yourself.

Amputation level

Your amputation level will be one of the first things that needs to be looked at when chosing the components in your prosthesis. An above knee amputation requires a prosthetic knee joint and the type of knee joint will help to define the appropriate prosthetic foot. This is where your prosthetist will assess the functions of the prosthetic knee joint and recommend an appropriate prosthetic foot. Because the natural knee joint is intact after a below knee amputation, your prosthetist will consider factors like length of the residual limb, strength and range of motion when recommending an appropriate foot prosthesis.

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Activity level

Manufacturers categorise prosthetic feet by the user’s activity level – also called mobility grade. This means that not every prosthetic foot can be used by every user. Selecting a prosthesis that matches your activity level will maximise your mobility and your quality of life. Here are some very basic indications for identifying your activity level. If you are on the border between two activity levels, your prosthetist will consider multiple products to assess the one that is best for you.

The amputee has the ability or the potential to walk with the prosthesis at a medium to high speed as well as at different speeds and simultaneously overcome most natural obstacles. He or she is also capable of walking outdoors and engaging in professional, therapeutic and other activities that do not subject the prosthesis to above-average mechanical strain. There may be an increased need for safety due to secondary circumstances (additional disability, special living conditions) combined with medium to high mobility demands. The amount of time and the distance the patient can walk are only mildly restricted compared to individuals without disabilities.

Therapy goal: Restoring the ability to stand and to walk indoors and outdoors with only mild restrictions

Build height

Prosthetic feet vary in height. We call the height of a prosthetic foot build height. Your height and the length of your residual limb as a below knee amputee will determine the space you have for a prosthetic foot and what is the appropriate build height for the prosthetic foot. As an above knee amputee, the length of the prosthetic knee joint will be an additional factor to consider for the build height of the prosthetic foot.

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Body weight

Prosthetic feet are designed for a specific weight range. To ensure that a prosthetic foot performs well for you, your prosthetist will choose one suited to your weight class.

Foot size

Like human feet, prosthetic feet differ in length and size. Prosthetic feet are sized by cm rather than standard shoe sizes. Every foot is available in a specific range of sizes. There are prosthetic feet that come in sizes for children while others are even sized for large adults. Ottobock running blades and specialty sports feet often have a single size.

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All about prosthetic feet

Specific information about prosthetic feet

Comfort

A foot prosthesis has to feel good for you to meet your activity goals.

Materials

The materials in a prosthetic foot differ by activity level. Wood, plastic and foam are usually found in feet designed for individuals who have low activity levels and require stability. Lightweight carbon fibre feet meet the functional needs of active individuals since they are built for shock absorption and energy efficiency.

Comfort

A foot prosthesis has to feel good for you to meet your activity goals.

Function

Prosthetic feet are designed to mimic a human foot at a specific activity level. For lower activity individuals, a prosthetic foot is designed to provide stability and balance. For those who are most active, a prosthetic foot must mimic the natural foot during the act of walking. It must act as a shock absorber as you strike your heel to the ground, adapt to uneven terrain, provide a smooth rollover from heel to toe, and provide a rigid lever for propelling forward when you finish your step (“toe-off”).

An amputee is accompanied by a physical therapist as they trial a prosthetic foot in a rehabilitation center

Multi-axial motion

Some prosthetic feet are designed to mimic the ankle which allows the foot to move in multiple planes. Multi-axial capability in a foot allows the foot to absorb varying terrain by moving in all directions. These motions are forward to back, side to side and rotation around the ankle. Multi-axial motion is needed to walk comfortably and confidently on uneven ground where your foot must adapt to whatever it encounters.

The Basics

Designing prosthetic foot systems is challenging. It’s very difficult to reproduce the complex workings of the human foot and ankle. Ideally the foot will be light because its weight is added to the rest of the prosthetic leg. If the foot is too heavy and the suspension of the prosthesis is not appropriate, the connection to the socket and your limb will be affected and also the overall function of the prosthesis.

A good prosthetic foot should also be strong, as it will be taking on large forces and torque as you walk and run. Feet must also be small enough to fit within a footshell, a cosmetic covering for the prosthetic foot, and thus fit within a shoe. Being light, strong, and small, and yet functional and durable is the challenge.

Early designs for prosthetic feet were often a solid piece of wood. A similar design, the SACH foot (solid-ankle-cushioned-heel) is still in use because of its sturdy function. It is especially useful for individuals with lower activity levels. A SACH foot typically has a rigid inner structure (wood or plastic) surrounded by a compressible foam cosmetic shell.

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The cosmetic shell

Today’s more sophisticated feet add more functions and are secured inside a cosmetic shell. Most people never see their prosthetic foot without this exterior shell. The cosmetic shell stretches around the prosthetic foot and serves two purposes:

It makes your prosthetic foot look like an anatomical foot.
It fits snugly in your shoe.

Materials

The materials in a prosthetic foot differ by activity level. Wood, plastic and foam are usually found in feet designed for individuals who have low activity levels and require stability. Lightweight carbon fibre feet meet the functional needs of active individuals since they are built for shock absorption and energy efficiency.

Comfort

A foot prosthesis has to feel good for you to meet your activity goals.

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Prosthetic foot portfolio

Prosthetic feet from Ottobock

Each user is different and each user has different individual habits, preferences and goals. To meet your individual requirements and those of other users, it is not purposeful to provide one prosthetic foot for everyone but to have different foot prostheses for different user profiles. Our prosthetic feet cater to your individual needs – convince yourself.

An elderly couple enjoys a stroll outside. The elderly man wears Ottobock's Terion foot to assist with his walk.

Prosthetic feet

Less active individuals

Designed for less active individuals who mainly navigate indoor environments and will utilise a walking aid for outdoor ambulation and place a high value on dependable support from their prosthetic foot.

Terion

This is what you can rely on

Heritage

For generations, Ottobock feet have helped define what’s possible with a lower limb prosthesis. With every step, our feet carry on the traditions of craftsmanship, invention and passion – that continue to set our products apart.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Together with you, your prosthetist will choose the prosthetic foot that best fits your individual habits, preferences and needs – based on your amputation level, mobility grade, your lifestyle and further criteria. The better informed you are, the better you can tell your prosthetist what you really need and the more actively you can participate during your fitting process. But be sure that your technician will always choose what’s best for you.

In general no. Our prosthetic feet are delivered with a footshell that is based on the shape of a natural foot so that it is possible to wear most common types of shoes. Many foot sizes come in both a slim and normal variant to match your natural foot as closely as possible. Some feet and footshells have a split between the big toe and second toe that makes it possible to wear sandals. The Meridium prosthetic foot even features automatic heel height adjustment.

Contact us

Your questions about prosthetic feet are not yet answered?

If you have any questions about prosthetic feet, please feel free to contact us using our contact form.

The relevance of the prosthetic foot

It’s more than a prosthetic foot. It’s a foundation.

How you and your prosthetist will select the right prosthetic foot

Personal factors

Amputation level

Activity level

Build height

Body weight

Foot size

Specific information about prosthetic feet

Comfort

Materials

Comfort

Function

Multi-axial motion

The Basics

The cosmetic shell

Materials

Comfort

Prosthetic feet from Ottobock

This is what you can rely on

Heritage

Trust

Heritage

Quality

Trust

Heritage

Frequently asked questions

Your questions about prosthetic feet are not yet answered?

Your questions about prosthetic feet are not yet answered?

Your questions about prosthetic feet are not yet answered?

Your questions about prosthetic feet are not yet answered?