My Everyday Leg

My every day leg is the leg that is the most important to me. It's the one I spend the most time perfecting, choosing, and also wearing. This leg gets beaten up the most and is the most often in the need of repair.

The Foot - Ossur's Re-Flex VSP

For my everyday leg I use Ossur's Re-Flex VSP foot. This foot is a bit bulky/ heavy but if you have a good suspension system you should not feel the weight. I've had feet that were lighter but felt heavier.

I choose this foot because it has a really nice shock absorption and bouncy feeling. It allows me to go from walking to running without having to switch my legs. This works for me because I don't run professionally or seriously enough to justify a completely separate cheetah running leg. Also, I don't care about my every day leg not looking like a piece of equipment. That's a good thing because this type of foot does not allow for custom leg covers.

Suspension system - Hanger V-Hold Vacuum System

V-Hold is a brand new piece of technology that was recently released by Hanger. It basically automatically vacuums the air from your socket to keep your leg on. When the vacuum is working well, my leg feels very light.

The major reason I like the V-Hold is because it tells me immediately if I have any air leakage. The unit will start making buzzing noise and if not corrected, within one minute it will shut off the vacuum.

The reason this is important is because if you don't know you are leaking air and your unit continues to suck air out you will end up with a ʻhickey' on your residual limb. (Similar to attaching a vacuum hose to your arm and letting it suck continuously.) This can potentially create other issues and from my experience, it's very painful and slow to heal.

Watch short V-Hold Video and understand fully how it works.