Abstract: By using an UMT-II tribometer to simulate prosthetic socket / residual limb skin interface under a reciprocating sliding wear mode, the terminological behavior between four kinds of prosthetic silicone material with different surface structure and limb skin is investigated. The results show that the relative sliding occurred on the both silicone material / skin interface and prosthetic socket / silicone material interface at the beginning of the reciprocating wear mode, consequently, the friction coefficient is relatively high. Then it decreased and gradually reached steady with the adhesion appearing on the interfaces. The coarse micro convex body on the back of silicone material increased the adhesion with skin, which resulted in less friction consumption energy. The knitting structure on the front of silicone material not only increased the relative sliding and friction consumption energy with prosthetic socket, but also decreased the accommodation of skin elastic deformation between the back of silicone material and skin during reciprocating friction process. Thereby, the friction coefficient and the energy consumption on the interface reduce. In conclusion, the silicone material with the coarse micro convex body on the back and the knitting structure on the reverse side would lower the risk of skin damage and eventually improves the wearing comfort of amputees.

Key words: energy consumption, friction behavior, limb skin, silicone material, surface structure