Glaze Acro — a new dimension of the shoulder cap

Fitting patients at the shoulder level is one of the most demanding cases in upper limb prosthetics. It is a rare situation, which is why for many years patients with shoulder disarticulation or forequarter amputation had very limited options. Most of them received cosmetic prostheses, because building a functional prosthesis involved enormous technical difficulties. The small number of such cases meant that only a few prosthetists gained experience in fitting them, and achieving proper comfort and stable suspension of the prosthesis was extremely challenging. For a long time this group of patients faced objective technical obstacles, and the low number of cases resulted in less clinical experience among prosthetists. In practice, access to a properly fitted, functional prosthesis was very limited, and finding a facility experienced in these amputations was a major challenge. For many people it meant giving up a functional prosthesis, or simply not being able to receive one.

One of the biggest breakthroughs is the way the cap itself is made. Until now, most such solutions were created from plaster casts. It was a process that required a great deal of experience, was time-consuming and often uncomfortable for the patient.

Thanks to the work of our team, we created a shoulder cap distinguished by an exceptionally simple two-step process. All you need is a correctly made scan — the design process is taken over by the Glaze Prosthetics team. As a result, the knowledge and experience gathered while developing the most demanding constructions become available to specialists all over the world.

While creating the shoulder cap we collected feedback from test patients, and every one of their comments was taken into account in the following design stages. Thanks to constant contact with users, Glaze Acro went through numerous iterations and kept evolving together with our understanding of their real needs. Very often it turned out that solutions which from a design perspective seemed to limit functionality were exactly what patients expected the most. As one of our users said:

„Using a shoulder pad as an addition to the shoulder cap is a really good idea. It gives a completely different shoulder shape, much closer to the one before the amputation when wearing clothes.”

The result of this process is an exceptionally light construction made of PA11 and TPU, providing high comfort throughout the whole day. In addition, thanks to the Vapor Smooth finish, the surface of Glaze Acro is perfectly smooth, easy to keep clean and resistant to dirt and scratches. These are not only our design assumptions — they are also confirmed by the opinions of test patients:

„The prosthesis is lighter than the basic version, which significantly increases the comfort of everyday use. Thanks to the slimmed-down cap construction the body sweats much less, which reduces discomfort and minimises unpleasant odour. The open construction also means the prosthesis requires less frequent and less time-consuming cleaning than a standard cap.”

„The cap with the activity prosthesis is lighter, so it is much more comfortable to wear. You really feel the difference during different activities. It proved itself both in competition and while cycling.”

„The prosthetic cap is lighter, which makes it much more comfortable to wear. It also requires less frequent cleaning and is easier to care for and maintain day to day.”

Comfort is further increased by the open construction, which significantly improves skin ventilation. The inside of the cap was filled with modular lattice structures — spatial, openwork geometries that reduce the mass of the whole model without compromising strength. These structures effectively absorb impacts, distribute pressure evenly and increase all-day wearing comfort. It is precisely this combination of lightness, durability and ergonomics that became one of the foundations of the new Glaze Acro system.

The aesthetic aspect, mentioned many times by our patients, turned out to be equally important:

„The solution with the strap on the arm and the enclosed shoulder joint makes the prosthesis look much more natural under clothing. Differences in shoulder height and arm shape are practically invisible.”

Glaze Acro is not just a new product. It is the result of cooperation with patients and proof that the best solutions are created when design is based on real user experience. We believe it is another step towards fully digital prosthetics, thanks to which even the most demanding amputations can be fitted faster, more precisely and with greater comfort than ever before.

If you want to learn more, visit our page: Glaze Acro →