SOME ASPECTS ON PROTHTETIC ELBOW

Abstract

Elbow is a bone joint having a single axis and performing two movements: flexion and extension. Because this axis, passing through trochlea and humerus, is not perfectly transversal, but oriented from outside to inside, forward to backward and from up to low, during the two movements the forearm and the arm form an opened angle. Consequently, the complex movement guided around this axis supposes particular shapes for the articulated bones in elbow and to design and realize prosthesis in case of important damage becomes a long and difficult procedure. More, the dimensions of prosthesis depend on anthropomorphic sizes of every patient. For these reasons, we propose an approach much more rapid and more cheap –rapid prototyping (RP) by thermal injection. It allows executing rapidly solid 3D models by CAD and prototype in accord with needed dimensions and with a very good quality. This device is simple, needs less material and more rapid.