Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) have received $500,000 of a combined $7.5 million in grant funding from the Department of Defense (DOD), congressionally directed medical research programs that will be applied toward study in prosthetic technology for military personnel.
Service members and veterans who have lost limbs and use prostheses are at increased risk for pressure sores, impaired blood perfusion, and accidental falls due to the microclimate created by sweat inside prosthetic sockets. Goeran Fiedler, PhD, assistant professor of prosthetics and orthotics at SHRS, has received $500,000 to study temperature control liners for prostheses, which utilize phase-change material to reduce the body’s tendency to sweat. The study will follow participants over 12 months to determine whether the liners demonstrate clinically meaningful effects, and therefore decrease the risk of these secondary complications.
Editor’s Note: This story was adapted from materials provided by the University of Pittsburgh.