Candra Malik

Sebelas Maret University engineers in Surakarta displaying prosthetic legs that offer users more natural, fluid movement. (Photo: Candra Malik, JG)

Indonesian University Makes Advance in Prosthetics

Solo. Flexible prosthetic legs have been created at the Sebelas Maret University in Surakarta, Central Java, a faculty member of the university’s industrial engineering department said on Friday.

“The legs will enable users to do things like bend their knees, wear shoes, tie shoelaces and sit cross-legged,” said Lobes Herdiman, head of the technical planning and research engineering laboratory at the university.

Lobes noted that since developing the “endoskeletal prosthetic leg” the faculty had begun work on the creation of flexible prosthetic arms.

Normal exoskeleton technology produces “rigid” legs which only allow users to “walk without fluidity, leaving them prone to falling. The new models are different because the legs have a greater unity with the body. With this creation we tried to integrate fluidity into the normal daily activities of a user, including things like foot rotation,” he said, adding that the two legs built at the university were suitable for above or below the knee amputees.

Lobes built the legs with three other faculty members: Susy Sumartini, Retno Wulan Damayanti and Azizah Aisyati.

The assembly of the prosthetics, Lobes noted, took a week.

The group presented a research paper at the university titled “Development of Foot Prosthesis Functions for Above Knee Amputations with Computer-Aided Engineering Technology.”

“Besides increasing foot mobility, this leg also decreases fatigue levels due to its stability,” Lobes said.

Endoskeletal prosthetics utilize an internal support pylon, usually covered with a lightweight material, whereas with exoskeletal prostheses the support is provided by an outside structure, such as an artificial limb.

Exoskeletal prosthetics use materials such as glass-reinforced plastic or resin, aluminum and polypropylene with wood filling, whereas endoskeletal prostheses are made from steel or plastic, he said.

“The endoskeletal prosthetic leg is modular in nature, thus it can be assembled, removed and fine-tuned and adjusted. It’s very flexible,” Lobes added.

The prosthetic leg is hoped to assist the disabled, including survivors of traffic accidents and other disasters.

Separately, Cucu Saidah, an activist from Handicap International, said her organization, in cooperation with Orthopedic Hospital in Surakarta, had developed a special wheelchair.

“Unlike regular wheelchairs, we have developed a wheelchair that can be adjusted to body size, daily activities and the user’s strength,” she said.

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