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UVA Engineering - Improvement in Knee Prosthesis



dychung7 7 / 19  
Dec 26, 2011   #1
Objective: We are looking for passionate students to join our diverse community of scholars, researchers, and artists. Answer the question that corresponds to the school you selected above. Limit your answer to a half page or roughly 250 words. For Engineers: If you were given funding for a small engineering project, what would you do?

As I waited to pick up my younger sister, I see a middle-aged man hobbling towards the school's front doors. His unusual gait drew inquisitive looks from the students that had been dismissed. Not to my surprise, a mechanical knee prosthesis was in place of his lower left leg.

Amputee victims, even with an artificial limb, do not have the ability to perform simple daily tasks without some degree of difficulty. One problem that concerns me is that leg amputees cannot return to their original gait with today's knee prostheses. Drawing inspiration from the C-leg, introduced by the Otto Bock Orthopedic Industry, I would design a knee prosthesis fully customizable to an individual's unique physique and gait. The cumbersome weight of prosthesis hinders an individual's ability to move freely so lightweight materials such as carbon fiber will be used for the prosthesis's physical structure. However, the weight of the prosthesis should be modified so that it replicates the weight of the missing limb. Also, the physical structure must be robust enough so that it can aid the individual in participation in sports and recreational activities, extending the prosthesis's function beyond walking. In almost all cases, the amputee must undergo physical therapy for an extended period of time to become accustomed to the prosthesis. This time it takes for this laborious process can be greatly reduced if I utilize sensors inside the prosthesis to take hundreds of measurements per second. These measurements would then be calculated to a mechanical system which controls the movement of the prosthesis, adapting itself to the person's unique gait. All these improvements should replicate an amputee's gait to that of his or her original gait.

With my new technology, I hope to see that same man walking proudly, as if he did not have an artificial limb.

Note: This is my very first draft and I intend to revise it several times before submission. Please help me and in return, I would be glad to help you with your essays.

EF_Susan - / 2310  
Dec 27, 2011   #2
As I waited to pick up my younger sister, I saw a middle-aged man hobbling towards the school's front doors.

The cumbersome weight of prosthesis hinders an individual's ability to move freely, so lightweight materials such as carbon fiber will be used for the prosthesis's physical structure.

Also, the physical structure must be robust enough so that it can aid the individual in participating in sports and recreational activities, extending the prosthesis's function beyond walking.

In almost all cases, the amputee must undergo physical therapy for an extended period of time to become accustomed to the prosthesis.

The time it takes for this laborious process can be greatly reduced if I utilize sensors inside the prosthesis, to take hundreds of measurements per second.

This is so important, especially with all the injured veterans returning home with missing limbs. They'll be lucky to have you as a student, as your essay shows compassion, intelligence, and innovation.

:)
Ted Trower CPO - / 1  
Dec 27, 2011   #3
A prosthesis should NOT weigh as much as the limb that was lost. A transfemoral prosthesis commonly weighs about 12 pounds and should weigh less than eight pounds, five would be much better. Additionally the mass needs to be concentrated in the proximal components or as high on the limb as possible while allowing room for the residual limb.
OP dychung7 7 / 19  
Dec 27, 2011   #4
oh wow...I did not know that...thank you for pointing out my naivety
i will make sure to eliminate that part of my essay and maybe even input the information you offered.

Thank you very much!
cherrybomb94 20 / 44  
Dec 27, 2011   #5
Thanks for reading my essay!

Make sure you keep your tense the same throughout the essay; you switched from past tense to present tense in the fifth line by using the word "will".

Also, remember that it is always better to have an "active" voice than a "passive" one when writing. For example, "However, the weight of the prosthesis should be modified" would sound better like this: "However, I would modify the weight of the prosthesis"

Good luck! :)
babygurl2012 4 / 14  
Dec 27, 2011   #6
We really need people like you in this world. I love the prompt!


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