Because of geographical conditions in Japan, most of our rice is grown in paddies. It is very hard to work in paddies wearing a prosthesis.
The type of prosthesis, called the “DOLINGEL” or “Iron Leg”, are not suitable in paddies. The followings were our research and development objections;
1. To select strong light materials and design for the new prosthesis.
2. To have a simple design which could be cleaned easily after use.
3. To consider the problem of skin irritation on the stump end.
4. To select the best foot shape for easy lifting from the mud. From the above objectives, we improved it after actual use.
A summary of our improvement;
Aluminium was used as the main material for its light weight. The lower leg was made of plastic for its ease of clearing.
Regarding the knee joint settlement during work;
The old prosthesis was too unsteady to permit the worker to carry things. So we reconstructed it. By bending it forward, putting a long boot on the prosthesis was very easier. We used a system where by the whole lower leg section can be changed by a “one touch” prosedure. We put rubber on the sole to prevent slipping. We put a belt on the affected side. Its design is the result of our experiments and of actual field use.