Custom skiing and trekking adaptations for a trans-tibial and trans-radial quadrilateral amputee

A keen skier who is a trans-tibial and trans-radial quadrilateral amputee sought an improved adaptation for skiing from the Rehabilitation Engineering Service in Edinburgh. The unpredictable nature of the bending moments and loads that can be imposed on the prostheses during skiing raised concern about the suitability of standard prosthetic components for this purpose. The authors report a ski boot modification that incorporates mechanical protection for the standard prosthetic components and a description of the custom-adapted alpine trekking sticks used also as ski poles. Reference is made to the role of risk assessment, the design and manufacture in providing this type of custom-made rehabilitation device.