Socks

 These socks aren't for your feet!

When you picked up your prosthesis you were issued socks, and you probably wondered when you were going to use them and why you would need so many. Now some of you may still be wondering this and some of you may be laughing and going "yep that was me, but not anymore." So here's the information that you probably heard and didn't catalog while getting your awesome new leg.

You probably have 2-3 different thicknesses of socks, and it does matter what thickness you grab. Depending on the manufacturer and your prosthetist you may have 1ply, 2 ply and 4 ply; you may have 1ply, 3 ply and 5 ply; or you may have only two of these which may mean you most likely don't have a 1 ply sock. So your next question may be, when do I use these socks? 

Here we go...you may need to use socks if: 

1) you are getting pressure/pain on the end of your residual limb

2) your prosthetic is starting to rotate on your residual limb (typically noticed when the foot is no longer going the same direction as when you were at the prosthetists office)

3) you feel like your leg can move inside your socket and it is not as fitted as the day you received your leg.

4) if you have a transfemoral socket (aka above the knee) than your first clue may be that what was "comfortable" before is now inching too far up into your groin

5) there may be others and feel free to leave them in the comments as everyone experiences and describes socket fit differently.

If you feel you fit any of the above scenarios than start with your thinnest ply sock. You will don your liner as always and then apply the sock over the liner, if you place your sock under your liner you decrease how your leg is held on and this could cause your prosthesis to fall off. You should have a comfortable fit when you don your leg, it may feel a little tight but it shouldn't cause pain or feel like a torniquet has been applied. 

Below is one example of a sock. This one would be used with pin lock system or a lanyard based system. 

If you have any questions or concerns always call your prosthetist as they have more direct infomation regarding your socket and supplies.