An integrated approach for numerical and experimental structural characterization of Running Prosthetic Feet

The Running Prosthetic Feet (RPF) are prostheses used by paralympic athletes with lower limb amputations. Currently these devices are characterized only by their category, related to the athlete's body weight, but which does not describe their structural behavior. The aim of the thesis is to identify some significant parameters that are objective, independent of the manufacturer and having a physical meaning capable of characterizing these prostheses from a structural point of view. Four different RPFs were tested using a test bench, subjecting them to the loads typically acting during running. Based on these experimental data, finite element models of these RPFs were created. Therefore, the previously mentioned parameters were calculated for the prosthesis models, analyzing the influence that RPF category, shape and alignment have on the parameters.