The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing an inner conical recess or socket which is connectable to a prosthesis and is intended for receiving a stump (pedicle) of an amputated extremity. The invention also relates to a molded piece which is designed for use in the process of the invention.
Inner conical recesses of this type, which directly receive ths stumps of amputated extremities and therefore need to have been fitted extremely well to the shape of the specific stump, are manufactured in a completely uniform manner, irrespsective of the material used in a specific case. A negative impression is prepared of the stump, for example, from plaster. This impression is filled with a suitable plastic to form the positive impression of the stump. The material of the inner conical recess is applied onto this positive impression, for example, by pouring on a suitable foam material or deep-drawing a thermoplastic sheet. This procedure is self-evidently very time-consuming and expensive. With recent amputees there is in addition the problem that the stump is still undergoing changes which necessitate manufacture of a new shaft with a new inner conical recess a certain time after the amputation. Again the equipping of these patients (interim equipping) is relatively time-consuming. The repeated modeling steps make it impossible to manufacture the inner conical recess having the optimal degree of accuracy.