Jaipur leg

The Jaipur Foot, also known as the Jaipur Leg, is a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with below-knee amputations. Although inferior in many ways to the composite carbon fibre variants, its variable applicability and cost efficiency make it an acceptable choice for prosthesis. Ram Chander Sharma designed and developed it in 1968.[1]

Overview

Designed in and named after Jaipur, India, the prosthetic leg was designed to be inexpensive, water-resistant, and quick to fit and manufacture. The Jaipur Foot is made of polyurethane, which at the time was the new material used in the production of the prostheses. The material increases the durability and the convenience of use. Now the government of India supports Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahyata Samiti with financial aid to carry out the work done by the organization. The Jaipur Foot has helped many people to overcome their leg disability.

The idea of the Jaipur Foot was conceived by Ram Chander Sharma under the guidance of Dr. P.K. Sethi, who was then the head of the Department of Orthopedics at Sawai ManSingh Medical College in Jaipur, India.

It is fitted free of cost by Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahyata Samiti, founded by Devendra Raj Mehta. It costs approximately $US 45 to make.

Other Advantages

The Jaipur Foot is superior to its SACH (Solid Ankle Cushion Heel) counterpart in certain ways, mainly in the range of movements it offers. The articulation at the 'ankle' allows not only inversion-eversion movements but also dorsiflexion (essential for squatting, standing up from prone position, etc.) and a shorter keel helps achieve this. Also, the materials used at the foot-end are waterproof and moderately mimic a real foot.

These features help a physically-challenged person assimilate more easily in a semi-urban or rural setup in the Indian subcontinent and other developing countries.

Sudha Chandran, an Indian actress and dancer, lost her limb in an accident in 1982. She was fitted with the Jaipur Foot and started dancing once again; her journey is the theme of the Telugu 1984 film Mayuri (Peahen), remade into a 1986 Hindi film, Naache Mayuri (Peahen Dancing). Both the films starred Sudha as the lead.[2]

Awards

P. K. Sethi was awarded the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1981,[3] and the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1981[4] Dr. D R Mehta received the Rajasthan Ratna for his contribution in Jaipur Foot in 2013 by Rajasthan Government.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.jaipurfoot.org/03_Technology_history.asp
  2. ↑ Somaaya, Bhawana (2003). The Story So Far. Indian Express Group. p. 153.
  3. ↑ The 1981 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership: Citation for Pramod Karan Sethi (accessed 28 January 2008)
  4. ↑ "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2009)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs.
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