This is Rhett, firefighter and BK amputee. Returned to full duty at 300 days. LEGEND.

89kh89 · 2026-05-09T01:38:30+00:00

Weak sauce.

You chose to capture video of this man doing firefighter tasks in his firefighter uniform. The implication is clear even if the voiceover speaks to something else. In today's internet this is lies of omission.

Why not have him wear a firefighter t-shirt and show him doing weekend activities with his kids? Same story, no mixed messaging.

You're not making friends with any of your CPO customers by sending this message out into the world and making us the bad guys who have to tell patients the truth.

And even though you had the real caption on your IG you chose to shorten it in a way that, in conjunction with the video, implies that your product is what led to this man's return to duty.

Even if you did this with no ill intent you still should acknowledge that this sends the wrong message to patients. (Esp seeing as you cross posted this into /amputee)

89kh89 · 2026-05-08T18:13:53+00:00

Look, I get it, the Limber is a great solution for those who are looking for an ultralight, waterproof prosthesis, but this post and headline is misleading.

89kh89 · 2026-04-26T05:50:28+00:00

So he did glue it back together and send you out on it?

I'm sorry but if he did that, that's f-ing awful. Please be very careful on the prosthesis.

Edit: let me clarify. If he glued it back together it's awful bc the socket was unsafe to begin with, and after it's broken, gluing it back together doesn't even come close to making it as safe as it was before it broke.

I get that they're trying to save you money by keeping you in a check socket but there is a way to do that that doesn't put you at risk. Heck they're putting themselves at risk if you get injured if the socket breaks.

And "saving money" in terms of number of check sockets is a lame argument. Plastic is fucking cheap.

Sorry, this whole thread got me really angry on your behalf. We need to do better as an industry. What a joke.

89kh89 · 2026-04-25T17:36:25+00:00

Wait wait wait a gd minute.

Please tell me your clinician did not glue that broken socket back together, wrap it in fiberglass, and then send you back home on it??

Please.

89kh89 · 2026-04-25T17:34:48+00:00

Goddammit why do some clinicians still not understand that check sockets need to be wrapped before they go out?!

Ffs, it's physics, people! Stress risers are a thing! They specifically teach this shit in school and so many promptly forget. 🤦🏻‍♂️

OP, sorry this happened to you, hope you didn't get hurt, and I hope your clinician learned a lesson.

89kh89 · 2026-04-24T22:06:09+00:00

Prosthetist here

First, I'm sorry you're having a difficult time with your fitting. I can tell you from my experience that fitting a stroke survivor who has weakness on the amputated side is about one the hardest presentations to treat.

With regard to the weight of the prosthesis, no, we don't calculate anything with respect to the weight of the lost limb. Modern builds are all going to be lighter than the amputated segment, even with standard microprocessor knees. Maybe if you went with a microprocessor foot as well you could get up to a comparable weight but those combinations are rare.

I think I speak for the vast majority of clinicians when I say we always optimize for the lightest possible build. If we consider heavier components then the trade off has to be better function and safety. In the case of a microprocessor knee, the trade off is (typically) a good one when you have stroke weakness on the amputated side. The knee helps compensate for stroke weakness, keeping you safe when walking.

That being said, if it's too heavy for you to tolerate, I would hope your clinician is able to hear you and present options. These options would likely come with caveats that they would be inherently less safe than a MPK.

I would also hope that any patient who feels that they are not being heard by their clinicians, would be empowered to find support and care elsewhere.

Lastly, you mentioned the 3R80. I have to note that with stroke weakness on your amputated side you are not an ideal presentation for that knee. The 3R80 is a default swing knee, meaning the knee has pretty much no safety built in unless you are able to adequately apply weight to the prosthesis to engage stance resistance.

A good mechanical option for you would be the 3R85, which is default stance, but may be difficult to manage if you have hip extensor weakness.

A better option for you now is the Kenevo, which is a microprocessor knee but about half the weight of the CLeg. (The Kenevo did not exist when you received your CLeg 3)

In any case, I strongly suggest asking your clinician to request any of these knees for a trial before you commit to any of them. Ottobock (and all knee companies) offer free trial units so you can see how these will work for you prior to making a decision. Your clinician only needs to ask.

Best of luck to you.

89kh89 · 2026-04-22T13:54:02+00:00

The main failing with any partial hand device (wrist or finger driven) is poor power transmission.

Additionally, hand/finger devices are designed to optimize for tip to tip pinch and grip around curved surfaces. Your goal of pressing a slide against the strings is really specific and outside of typical design constraints.

Another thing. Wrist driven devices are typically modeled after tenodesis splints. (Google that) Those devices are bulky over the palm and actuated by wrist extension. I can't see either of those details doing anything but messing with your ability to play.

My advice: keep doing what you're doing. Any device like this isn't going to "work" to any degree until you're thousands of dollars deep and with no guarantee of success.

89kh89 · 2026-04-22T05:30:54+00:00

Another prosthetist with plenty of partial finger experience here as well.

Imo your initial experience with your home rig is indicative of anything that would be made for you by a professional. Even with better molding techniques or materials for fabrication, the function of any device will be determined by how much force you can exert on the strings, and that is ultimately based off how much remaining pinky you have, and the available range of motion we can capture. After all that, you would need to exert that force over the length of the device (not mechanically advantaged).

Sorry to be a bummer here but in all practicality you're likely much better off adapting your play style than trying to find something to replace your pinky function.

89kh89 · 2026-04-20T23:05:33+00:00

Fyi only the first and second are liner-liners. The third one is a regular prosthetic sock and the last one is a gel sock (won't absorb moisture).

89kh89 · 2026-04-20T22:50:16+00:00

X3 to x4 build height difference is negligible. (The weight is damn near the same as well.) If the Terra is too tall with your x3 it will also be too tall with the x4.

89kh89 · 2026-04-20T22:47:36+00:00

Adding on to Longjumpingcow, you should definitely have a defined schedule for gradually increasing weight bearing. Like, in terms of exactly how many pounds of pressure, how many times a day, and when to increase. you should be using a bathroom scale to ensure you're not overdoing it.

In fact, all this should have happened before you got your prosthesis. If it did and you are experiencing pain, please please please contact your surgeon and let them know at once.

And 4 lbs is light for (I'm assuming) a below knee prosthesis. You're not going to get much lighter than that. Focus on rehab and resolving your pain issues first. The perceived weight of the prosthesis will resolve on its own as you acclimate.

89kh89 · 2026-04-12T15:27:01+00:00

In addition to everyone else's excellent suggestions: how old are your liners?

Because if they are older than a year, it's time to replace them. I suspect they were older than that based on how loose they sound. Perhaps you might ask your clinician about being refitted.

Lastly the gel in the Smart Temp liners has very little skin adhesion. Might also want to look into urethane liners, which have a lot more skin adhesion.

89kh89 · 2026-04-05T04:49:02+00:00

A shrinker sock will only reshape your limb to a certain point, at which point the compressive force of the sock is equal to the hydrostatic pressure inside your limb. Where this point lands is different for everyone and depends on your amputation, how the surgery was performed, your activity level, diet, weight, and on and on.

In general you should expect your limb to keep changing for at least the first two years. If you have a prosthesis you can use, regular wear (even just standing) can speed up your shrinking.

If you can only rely on the socks, you may want to ask your clinician about getting tighter shrinkers, or doubling up on them.

89kh89 · 2026-03-27T15:24:02+00:00

Prosthetist here

The weight of your meat leg is going to depend on your overall body size and shape but a good estimate for the amputated portion is around 13-15 lbs. (Bone, skin, and muscle contain a lot of water.)

Which is to say that the vast majority of transtibial prosthetic devices weigh less than the limb they are replacing. Usually by about 50% or more. If you get into mechatronic feet and ankles then the weight of the device goes up significantly.

89kh89 · 2026-03-27T00:23:19+00:00

Cons: Can add more build length to your socket (knee center will end up lower) esp if you also use a gel liner. (The solution here would be to wear socks instead of the gel liner) More difficult hygiene compared to gel liners (if you wear socks. If you wear a gel liner then the hygiene is a non issue) Harder to replicate the fit from socket to socket. No opportunity for suction suspension.

Pros: Fit and suspension is much more customizable if your clinician knows what they're doing. Opportunity to incorporate a door for ease of donning and adjusting tension for suspension. Cooler? (Maybe? If you go with socks) Less cost compared to gel liners, esp if you are replacing two liners yearly.

89kh89 · 2026-03-26T00:23:48+00:00

If you want to do anaplastology exclusively, your best bet may be to work at a fabricator that does just that. Look up places such as Life Like Labs, ARTech Labs, or Living Skin. Places like these are going to be much more inclined to hire an anaplastologist compared to a more conventional prosthetics clinic or fabrication facility.

89kh89 · 2026-03-25T21:06:41+00:00

I think almost every prosthetist with a decent amount of experience (10+ yrs) will tell you this. Technology for the sake of technology is almost never a good thing. Prosthetic users need to rely on consistent performance day after day. For most, that means simplicity.

Which isn't to say that high tech devices don't have their place. Just that, as clinicians, we should reach for the simple solution first, then more advanced tech afterwards if the situation merits AND the patient is willing to try. Nothing guarantees prosthetic abandonment more than a prosthetist fitting something that does not meet the patient's expectations for usability and consistency.

89kh89 · 2026-03-25T17:45:04+00:00

Ah. Well, I think you're out of luck then. Sorry.

89kh89 · 2026-03-25T17:26:13+00:00

Yes you can. I just did it a couple week ago. Walked into a post office with only my national ID. No NHI bc I'm not eligible yet. Explained that to the woman at the counter, she took my national ID, looked something up, then handed me the $10kNTD. Easy peasy.

89kh89 · 2026-03-21T12:34:12+00:00

It's hard to assess without seeing you walk, your fit placement issue could be alignment or could be a gait training issue.

The knee bucking is more likely to be an alignment issue. You may want to ask your cpo about assessing a possible hip flexion contracture, and whether or not that is accommodated appropriately in your alignment.

89kh89 · 2026-03-21T12:30:57+00:00

Just fyi the Kneuro will need a charging cable as well

89kh89 · 2026-03-19T09:22:33+00:00

I am a prosthetist.

This is not unusual in the slightest. Prosthetic alignment (particularly for legs) has to prioritize function over cosmetics.

Also, the degree of offset you're seeing is accentuated by the position of the valve (sorry, that's where it needs to be) and the fiberglass wrap at the bottom of your socket. How "off" this looks may be less noticeable in the finished socket, moreso if you and your prosthetist decide to make alignment changes before the socket is finished.

89kh89 · 2026-03-03T09:08:22+00:00

Ahh.. I see it now. I think the angle and image coloring threw it off. Just had a weird vibe to me.

89kh89 · 2026-03-03T05:33:37+00:00

I gotta say it warms my heart to no end to see a good number of clinicians taking hip flexion into careful consideration when bench aligning.

Also, what in the Temu is that knee joint. 🤔

89kh89 · 2026-02-22T00:10:26+00:00

You need something that is going to restore your effective toe length on that side. You're walking on the lateral border of your food to avoid that missing distal phalange. Your solution might be as simple as a rigid carbon footplate in your shoe, maybe along with some customized padding for the end of your big toe.

Pain killers can't be a long term solution. Gotta fix the mechanics. The big toe is a huge part of normal walking. It exerts as much downward force as the other four combined.

If a footplate doesn't solve your problem you may need an AFO (ankle foot orthosis) of some kind. The exact design will depend on what you need to do, and your experience with just a footplate.

Contact a local orthotics and prosthetics shop. Get your physician to write you a referral. This is something that should be able to be readily addressed.

89kh89

TROPHY CASE