Jaipur leg

The Jaipur Foot, also known as the Jaipur Leg, is a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with below-knee amputations. It is inexpensive and widely acceptable as a prosthesis, and as a result has been widely used in India. Dr.Pramod Sethi designed and manufactured artificial limbs, noses and ears, with the help of the skilled craftsmen RamChandra Sharma designed and developed it in 1968.[1]This technology made it easy for the differently abled to walk bare-foot on rough surfaces, run, go cycling, work in the fields, climbing mountains and trees, etc.

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 newest material used in the production of the prostheses. This material increases the durability and the convenience of use. 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 accommodate their leg disability.[2]

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 Man Singh 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 $45 to make.

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. 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), re-made into a 1986 Hindi film, Naache Mayuri (Peahen Dancing). Both the films starred Sudha as the lead.[3]

Awards

P. K. Sethi was awarded the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1981,[4] and the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1981[5] Dr. D R Mehta received the Rajasthan Ratna for his contribution to Jaipur Foot in 2013 by Rajasthan Government.

References
  1. http://www.jaipurfoot.org/03_Technology_history.asp
  2. Kanani, Rahim. "Jaipur Foot: One of the Most Technologically-Advanced Social Enterprises in the World". Forbes. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  3. Somaaya, Bhawana (2003). The Story So Far. Indian Express Group. p. 153.
  4. The 1981 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership: Citation for Pramod Karan Sethi (accessed 28 January 2008)
  5. "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2009)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2013.
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