At DPO, we supply you with Prosthetic Stump Socks upon the final fitting of your prosthetic leg and throughout the lifespan of your prosthesis.
Prosthetic Socks are worn over the residual limb within a prosthesis. All types of Prosthetic legs are designed to be worn with a sock. They are available in all various materials and thicknesses. The sock is typically worn over your liner.
Your body is always changing. Early in your rehabilitation, the limb becomes smaller as the swelling subsides. Your muscles will also shrink due to the fact that they are no longer performing all of their intended functions. If you gain or lose weight, you will also need stump socks. You will also find your stump changes through out the day, reducing or swelling depending on many factors.
Stump socks add cushioning, reduce friction against your skin, and provide a means of adjusting the fit of your socket.
Stump sock sizes range from ½ PLY to 5 PLY. Some socks have coloured bands at the top to indicate thickness. We typically supply the “THIN” (1 PLY) Cotton and the “THICK” (2.5 PLY) Coolmax socks.
Stumps socks can also be layered on top of each other.
This is a tricky question to answer and it is something you will learn as you gain experience wearing your prosthesis.
You typically would want to add a sock or multiple socks when you start to feel pressure or discomfort at the end of your residual limb when you put weight on your prosthesis. If your residual limb feels like it is moving within the socket, you will need a sock.
The first sock you should add is the “THIN” (1 PLY) cotton. If this is not enough to eliminate the discomfort, add another “THIN” cotton, these are 1 PLY each and still just under the 2.5 PLY that the “Thicker” Coolmax socks we provide.
When two “thin” cotton socks are not sufficient anymore then they are to be removed and replaced by a “thicker” 2.5 PLY Coolmax sock. This process is repeated as needed.
When you reach an application of 3 “Thicker” Coolmax socks, the prosthetic becomes unstable and will present an increased fall risk.
Please contact our clinic straight away as you might be needing a complete Socket Replacement.
Yes! Always keep one or two socks on you during the day as you might not need these initially but as you go through the day the volume of your residual limb can change and the need to add a sock may present itself.
When your socks get worn out, please contact our clinic. We will have your sizing of these on file and our friendly team can immediately post a new supply of these out to you.