Finite Element Analysis in the Balancing Phase for an Open Source Transfemoral Prosthesis with Magneto-Rheological Damper

The article presents a finite element simulation for the stress analysis of a transfemoral prosthesis with damping for a 100 kg person in the balancing phase. The maximum force is exerted at this stage when the person supports his or her whole body on a single foot. Materials used included stainless steel and polymer matrix composites, for which mechanical testing was performed. The study applied the SolidWorks simulation software tools, where material properties were specified for each part that composes the prosthesis and considered loads, the fastenings, and the meshing. The simulation resembles the manufacturing process for each component, including the sole built by the novel composite fused deposition modeling technique. As a result of the simulation, the stress, displacement fields, and safety factor are obtained. Analysis of the safety factor indicates that the components can withstand the loads imposed. Finally, a fatigue analysis indicated that the most critically loaded component lasts at least 294,107 cycles at maximum constant loading.