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.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 overcome their leg disability. 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 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 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.
, 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 filmMayuri, re-made into a 1986 Hindi film, Naache Mayuri. Both the films starred Sudha as the lead.
