I Fixed It!

I have made a discovery I am anxious to share. As I have written previously, I have been involved in an epic battle with my liner rolling down. No matter what I have tried I have not been able to keep the liner up. It has been extremely frustrating. Not only is the rolled liner uncomfortable, it is unsightly and just plain ugly under clothing.

Because I have been ill lately, my activity has been has been minimal. Walking to the bathroom or kitchen or occasionally to the living room couch to watch Robby play with his trains has been the extent of my movement. I have been provided with ample opportunity during my convalescence to reflect, to plan and "to invent."

I have been toying with various alteration possibilities to rectify my liner roll situation. I briefly considered sewing stretchy fabric to the top of the liner, extending its length. I quickly realized that this would mean that the liner would be even higher on my leg. I have "chubby" thighs, so a taller liner would most likely result in just a thicker roll.

Then I had an epiphany. I needed to increase the surface area of the top edge of the liner without adding length. Bulls-eye! I set about experimenting on old liners to come up with the optimal shape to cut into the end. I discovered that a wave cut was optimal. I cut the liner and it no longer rolls down!


I have been complaining to both my prosthetist and the company that manufactures the liners about the roll issue. I have spoken with other amputees, primarily women, who have a similar complaint. I suppose that, in the scheme of things, resolving an issue around the rolling liner isn't a priority.

Although the issue may not have been a priority for the designers, it was a frustrating inconvenience to me. In actuality, it was more of an inconvenience. The liner rolls have irritated the back of knee to the point of the skin rubbing off, leaving me prone to infection and pain when wearing my prosthetic. I guess the adage is right: If you need something done, you should do it yourself!