Plastic soda bottles: a reusable material for making transradial sockets.

This paper describes a new fabrication process for making low-cost transradial sockets using recyclable plastic soda bottles. Easy, fast, and inexpensive to fabricate, the resulting socket can be used as a temporary device for stump care. Multiple sockets can be made and individually incorporated with various terminal devices for light-duty self-care or functional activities, such as feeding, showering, typing, swimming, or gardening. The formed socket is lightweight and also suitable for use with a cosmetic passive hand prosthesis. This process has been developed as a potential cost-effective assistive technology appropriate for individuals with transradial amputation in resource-limited countries.