can take weeks to make and cost thousands of dollars, Jaipur Foot has worked with groups of engineers to produce prosthetics that can be fitted and assembled for patients within days and cost only a few dollars. The low cost of production, along with donations, allows the organization to provide care free of cost to all of their patients.
How do the prosthetics work? When a patient comes into the clinic with a leg amputation, he or she is treated to make sure that the lower stump has properly healed. The shape of the stump is cast to create a mold, and a plaster replica of the patient's stump is created. This replica is necessary for the prosthetic leg to fit each patient perfectly. A plastic pipe is then heated and fitted around the replica mold. For patients with below-the-knee amputations, the prosthetic limb includes the flexible and durable Jaipur Foot. Above-the-knee amputees receive a prosthetic fitted with the low-cost Jaipur Knee joint and the Jaipur Foot. When the prosthetic is completed, the patient's stump fits perfectly inside and is attached using a leather strap around the leg. Thanks to these prosthetics, patients are able to walk, squat and run, regaining mobility and independence in their lives.
