This leg prosthesis was probably based on a design by C. Geffers. It was constructed of lateral steel rails, leather and wood. The strap-on thigh sleeve and the upper part of the lower leg are made of leather, and the two parts are flexibly interconnected by a wooden ball. The lateral steel rails can be locked at the joint by a lever to prevent the device from buckling when the wearer is walking. The foot is made of wood and flexibly connected via a spiral spring to the lower leg portion, likewise made of wood. This prosthesis was held on by a hip strap; many thigh prostheses were secured by a shoulder strap too.

credit: On loan from the Department and Collection of the History of Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, www.meduniwien.ac.at