Research Questionnaire for amputees

Name
Gender
Age
Have you ever suffered from a mental health condition related to amputation such as
body dysmorphia or depression?
Y	N
If so could you please give details on how this has affected you?
What care, if any, did you receive for this/these condition(s)? Was this care offered or
did you have to seek it out yourself?
Do you think your psychological state influenced your physical recovery? If so in what way?
Do you feel that the aesthetic of your limb is important? If so in what way?
Y	N

Do you think involvement in the design of a new limb could help to give a better sense
of control?
Y	N
Do you think it is important for a prosthetic to match your aesthetic needs?
Y	N
Would you wear an aesthetically designed prosthetic or prosthetic cover? Please give
your reasons.
Y	N

 This information is for use in a paper on the psychological aspects of amputation and how aesthetics could play a part in recovery, you will remain anonymous. Please contact me if you have anything further to add or if you would be willing to have a more thorough conversation, or even if you’re just interested in what I’m doing.

 Thank you for completing this questionnaire.

Ross Reynolds,

Ross.C.Reynolds@hotmail.com

Resin impregnated tissue paper.

 So, from the mould I created from this plater leg I decided to create a hollow structure from resin. There are a few ways to do this, with the most common being producing a inner mould and pouring the resin into the space in-between. Another approach is to use something as a matrix, to hold the resin to the sides of the mould without the need for an inner cast. 

 I decided to have a play with impregnating tissue paper which resin, to find out whether it could produce a stable structure (the mould I used for this experiment was an older one laying around the workshop, if I find out who to credit I will). It worked well, creating a semi-opaque cloudy material filled with small air bubbles and inflections making it feel a lot more organic than pure resin. 

I then lined my leg mould, made from silicone, with the impregnated tissue. Building up layers of laminated tissue with the same intent of rebar in concrete. 

The foot had to be cast in the normal way, as I only made a single part mould. If I was going to recreate this I would probably make a two part mould so I could use the lining technique throughout to produce a more cohesive limb. There is a bit of yellowing of the pour-cast resin, and I didn't quite get the undercuts of the cast. Hopefully I can resolve both of these with the polishing process removing some of the yellowing from the foot, and a recast of the toes to get the full form. 

I may use this limb to experiment with light, I think the inflections and air bubbles would become more pronounced adding to the more organic qualities. I'd want the limb to look as if it itself was emitting light as opposed to just looking as off I'de dropped a bulb in there. We'll see what happens as I continue to experiment. 

The next step after the initial finishing and tidying up will be to create the interface, the portion of the prosthetic where the residual limb would connect. As this is just an experiment, not a limb for use, I can make a more generalised mould as opposed to one designed to fit a specific person.