Easier prosthetic socket fitting using caregiver-guided limb scans
Official title: Improving prosthetic provision in rural communities: limb scanning with caregiver assistance
Funded at VA Puget Sound Healthcare System · NIH-11305981 · Data updated 2026-11-12
See if caregivers using simple digital scans at home can help make prosthetic sockets that fit Veterans with lower-leg amputations as well as sockets made in the clinic.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Puget Sound Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2023 |
| Project end | September 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX004276-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11305981 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans with lower-limb amputations who need a new socket, live in rural areas, and have a caregiver available to help with home scanning.
✕Less likely to help
People without an available helper, those with active wounds or very complex residual-limb shapes, or those unable to complete required clinic checks may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
If I am a Veteran with a lower-leg amputation who lives far from a VA clinic, a caregiver will use an inexpensive, easy-to-use scanner to capture the shape of my residual limb at home. Participants will be assigned to either the caregiver-scanned pathway or the usual clinic hand-casting pathway, and each person will receive a new socket made from their assigned method. My comfort, socket fit, and function will be measured using patient-reported outcomes and clinical checks. The goal is to determine whether the remote, helper-assisted approach can reduce visits and travel without sacrificing fit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reduce travel and in-person visits for rural Veterans while providing prosthetic sockets that fit as well as current clinic-made sockets.
How similar studies have gone: 3D limb scanning approaches have shown promise in small projects, but caregiver-led, at-home scanning for socket fabrication remains relatively new and is being tested here.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Klute, Glenn — VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Klute, Glenn
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.