RondaWaddell840 at 05:31, 26 May 2025

2025-05-26T05:31:02Z

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{{pp|small=yes}}
{{short description|Prosthetic limb}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}

[[File:Japur foot production.jpg|thumb|A Jaipur foot in production]]

The '''Jaipur foot''', also known as the '''Jaipur leg''', is a rubber-based [[Artificial limb|prosthetic leg]] for people with below-knee [[amputation]]s. 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 Chandra Sharma and orthopedic surgeon [[P. K. Sethi]] designed and developed it in 1968.<ref name="name">{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://www.jaipurfoot.org/03_Technology_history.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903120321/http://www.jaipurfoot.org/03_Technology_history.asp |archive-date=3 September 2009 |publisher=Jaipur Foot|url-status=unfit}}</ref>

The Jaipur foot consists of a rubber core, wooden block and vulcanised rubber coating. It is a soft multi axial artificial foot and provides enough dorsiflexion to permit an amputee to squat. Use of the Jaipur foot is limited to prosthetic users at the level of household and limited community ambulation, since it is unsuitable for high level activities and sports or if the user must transverse uneven terrain.

==History==
The idea of the Jaipur foot was conceived by Ram Chander Sharma, a craftsman, and [[P. K. Sethi]], who was then the head of the Department of Orthopedics at [[Sawai Man Singh Medical College]] in Jaipur.<ref name="Time">{{Cite magazine |last=McGirk |first=Tim |date=18 January 2008 |title=The $28 Foot |magazine=Time |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987107,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118073140/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987107,00.html |access-date=20 November 2021|archive-date=18 January 2008 }}</ref> Existing prosthetic feet did not allow users to go barefoot, squat or sit crosslegged, or work in muddy fields, all of which were common in poorer areas of India. Sharma and Sethi set out to design a cheap foot that could work for this cultural context.

The Jaipur foot was named after [[Jaipur]], [[India]], where it was designed.

==Design==
[[File:Machinery used for manufacturing Jayapur foot.jpg|Machinery used for manufacturing a Jaipur foot|thumb]]

The Jaipur foot is composed of a wooden ankle and a rubber heel and forefoot section, all surrounded by a thin outer layer of tire cord, a rubber composite.<ref name="Wolynski">{{Cite journal |last1=Wolynski |first1=Jakob G. |last2=Wheatley |first2=Benjamin B. |last3=Mali |first3=Harlal Singh |last4=Jain |first4=Anil K. |last5=Haut Donahue |first5=Tammy L. |date= July 2019 |title=Finite Element Analysis of the Jaipur Foot: Implications for Design Improvement |url=https://journals.lww.com/jpojournal/Fulltext/2019/07000/Finite_Element_Analysis_of_the_Jaipur_Foot_.7.aspx |journal=Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics |language=en-US |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=181–188 |doi=10.1097/JPO.0000000000000253 |s2cid=86840042 |issn=1040-8800|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

It is a modification of the [[Solid Ankle Cushioned Heel foot|Solid Ankle Cushioned Heel]] (SACH) foot, with the wooden ankle of the SACH foot replaced with a more flexible block of rubber, which allows the user to squat or sit cross-legged. In the original design, the expensive wooden shank of the SACH foot, used to attach the foot to the user's leg, is replaced with a cheaper aluminum shank.<ref name="Bhargava">{{Cite journal |last=Bhargava |first=Rakesh |date=2019 |title=The Jaipur Foot and the "Jaipur Prosthesis" |journal=Indian Journal of Orthopaedics |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=5–7 |doi=10.4103/ortho.IJOrtho_162_18 |pmid=30905976 |pmc=6394196 |issn=0019-5413 |doi-access=free }}</ref> A later version is made of high-density polyethylene, which increases the durability and the convenience of use.<ref name="Arya">{{Cite journal |last1=Arya |first1=A. P. |last2=Klenerman |first2=L. |date=April 2008 |title=The Jaipur foot |journal= The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume|volume=90-B |issue=11 |pages=1414–1421 |doi=10.1302/0301-620X.90B11.21131 |pmid=18978257 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The original version was made primarily of rubber, while a later version is made of polyurethane, which is lighter.<ref name="DownToEarth">{{Cite news |date=November 30, 2007 |title=Jaipur foot – Making big strides |language=en |work=www.downtoearth.org.in |url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/jaipur-foot--making-big-strides-6959 |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> However, the Jaipur foot is still heavier than standard prosthetics.

The Jaipur foot has some advantages relative to conventional SACH feet, especially in the range of movements it offers. It is possible to move the ankle and foot thanks to the shorter keel and rubber ankle. The materials used at the foot-end are waterproof and somewhat mimic a real foot.<ref name="SciMuseum">{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2017 |title=Jaipur Foot: The Low-Cost Prosthetic that Revolutionised Medical Care in India and Beyond |url=https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/jaipur-foot-the-low-cost-prosthetic-that-revolutionised-medical-care-in-india-and-beyond/ |access-date=2021-11-20 |website=Science Museum}}</ref> These features help amputees using the foot assimilate more easily in a semi-urban or rural setup in the Indian subcontinent and other developing countries.

The Jaipur foot was never patented or otherwise standardized. As a result, there is significant variation in the quality of feet and their fitting.<ref name="Arya"/> It has a typical lifespan of around 2–5 years.<ref name="EngForChange">{{cite web |title=Jaipur Foot – Performance and Use |url=https://www.engineeringforchange.org/solutions/product/jaipur-foot/ |website=Engineering For Change |access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref>

==Distribution==

In India, the Jaipur foot can be fitted for free by [[Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti]] (BMVSS), a charitable organization for amputees and other disabled people founded by [[D. R. Mehta|Devendra Raj Mehta]].<ref name="WhoWeAre">{{Cite web |title=Who We Are |url=https://www.jaipurfoot.org/who-we-are/organisation.html |access-date=20 November 2021 |website=Jaipur Foot}}</ref> The government of India supports BMVSS with financial aid to carry out the work done by the organization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kanani |first=Rahim |title=Jaipur Foot: One of the Most Technologically-Advanced Social Enterprises in the World |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rahimkanani/2011/08/08/jaipur-foot-one-of-the-most-technologically-advanced-social-enterprises-in-the-world/ |access-date=2019-03-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> It costs approximately $45 to make.{{cn| reason = every source I can find gives a different price, from $3 to $80; see talk|date= November 2021}} BMVSS, in collaboration with a team at [[Stanford University]], also developed the Jaipur knee - a versatile and budget-friendly prosthetic knee joint that mimics the natural joint's movements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bagla |first=Gunjan |date=19 February 2010 |title=Jaipur Knee, designed by Stanford considered a top invention, used in India |url=https://amritt.com/the-india-expert-blog/jaipur-knee-designed-by-stanford-considered-a-top-invention-used-in-india/ |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=Amritt, Inc. |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=WDO {{!}} Jaipur Foot / Jaipur Knee / Jaipur Limb |url=https://wdo.org/site-project/jaipur-foot-jaipur-knee-jaipur-limb/ |access-date=9 January 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' listed the Jaipur Knee as one of the best inventions of 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |date= |title=The 50 Best Inventions of 2009 |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1934027_1934003_1933963,00.html |access-date=9 January 2024 |work=Time |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}</ref>

The Jaipur foot is commonly used in low-income countries and warzones as a low-cost alternative to conventional prosthetics. It was used during the [[Afghanistan conflict (1978–present)|war in Afghanistan]] to help treat land mine victims.<ref name="Time"/><ref name="SciMuseum"/>

==In popular culture==
[[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 (film)|Mayuri]]'' (Peahen), re-made into a 1986 Hindi film, ''[[Naache Mayuri]]'' (Peahen Dancing). Both the films starred Sudha as the lead.<ref name="Somaaya2003">{{Cite book |last=Somaaya |first=Bhawana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mK4aAQAAIAAJ |title=The Story So Far |publisher=Indian Express Group |year=2003 |page=153 |authorlink=Bhawana Somaaya}}</ref>

==Awards==
P. K. Sethi was awarded the [[Magsaysay Award]] for Community Leadership in 1981,<ref name="Ramon_Magsaysay">[http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationSethiPra.htm The 1981 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership: Citation for Pramod Karan Sethi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123151343/http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationSethiPra.htm |date=23 January 2013 }} (accessed 28 January 2008)</ref> and the [[Padma Shri]] by the [[Government of India]] in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Awards Directory (1954–2009) |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |url-status=dead |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |archivedate=2013-05-10}}</ref> Dr. D R Mehta received the [[Rajasthan Ratna]] for his contribution to Jaipur foot in 2013 by Rajasthan Government.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.jaipurfoot.org/who-we-are/organisation.html Official website]

[[Category:Prosthetics]]
[[Category:Jaipur]]
[[Category:Disability in India]]

Jaipur foot - Revision history

RondaWaddell840 at 05:31, 26 May 2025