Moisture permeability of the total surface bearing prosthetic socket with a silicone liner: Is it superior to the patella-tendon bearing prosthetic socket?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the moisture permeability properties of materials used for total surface bearing (TSB) socket with a silicone liner, a combination of Silicone Suction Socket or Icelandic Roll-On Silicone Socket (ICEROSS®) and an acrylic plastic sheet (Degaplast®), patella-tendon bearing (PTB) socket, a combination of Pe-Lite® and Degaplast, and wooden socket made of poplar. Moisture permeability of the socket materials was measured as the diminution of water in a container after 12 hours in a climatic chamber. Eight containers with their open, top side were uncovered (no material) or sealed with one of the socket materials; the experiment was repeated four times. One-way analysis of variance followed by Bonferroni's test was applied to examine the differences in moisture permeability. Moisture permeability levels were as follows: no material, 85.9 ± 1.3g; poplar, 4.3 ± 0.4g; Silicone Suction Socket, 1.1 ± 0.2g; ICEROSS, 1.0 ± 0.2g; Pe-Lite, 0.8 ± 0.1g; 3S+ Degaplast, 0.8 ± 0.1 g; ICEROSS + Degaplast, 0.8 ± 0.2g; and Pe-Lite + Degaplast, 0.8 ± 0.1 g. There were significant differences between the uncovered container and the others, and between poplar and the others (P< 0.05). We concluded that the TSB socket with a silicone liner is not superior to the PTB socket with regard to moisture permeability, and that it is necessary to develop a new prosthetic socket that allows heat release and drainage of sweat.