Below Knee Prosthetic Socket Designs and Suspension Systems

The prosthetic socket must act as a customized connection between the residual limb’s surrounding tissues and the prosthetic components. The socket must be designed to control weight bearing, suspension, and ambulation stability. When making a below-the-knee socket, the prosthetist attempts to maximize loading and minimize displacements, such as vertical, transverse, or rotational. This article discusses the engineering designs or shapes of the two basic forms of below-the-knee prosthetic sockets used today.