Apparatus for making a prosthesis socket

Apparatus for forming a definitive prosthesis socket for a residual limb that includes soft tissue and a distal end area, comprising:

• tension applying means for applying tension to the distal end area of a residual limb so as to effectively elongate the soft tissue of such residual limb and cause its diametrical reduction;
• a moldable definitive socket forming material configured to enclose a distal end area of a residual limb, said forming material being hardenable when subject to an activating agent to a hardened state in which the forming material possesses load bearing structural properties enabling the forming material to function as a definitive prosthesis socket;
• retaining means for retaining the socket forming material at a casting location;
• compression means for circumferentially compressing the socket forming material at said casting location, and means for activating said compression means;
• means for activating said tension applying means while said casting material is located at said casting location and while said compression means is activated;
• said retaining and tension applying means comprising said compression means and a tension transfer element connecting the residual limb distal end area to the compression means, said compression applying means being supported by the distal end area of the residual limb at said casting location and arranged to be displaced away from the residual limb distal end area during circumferential compression of the residual limb distal end area, said compression means being substantially unrestrained against motion in a direction away from the residual limb distal end area during said circumferential compression except by said tension transfer element, to thereby effect transfer of compression means displacement motion away from the residual distal end area during circumferential compression of the socket forming material to tension force in the residual limb distal end area during activation of the compression means.