Standard artificial legs cannot be exposed to water because many components used in them would rust. Swim and shower legs, however, include components that are waterproof and will not corrode.

The standard swim leg has holes in the outer shell to allow the limb to fill with water to reduce buoyancy while swimming and to allow water to drain from it after the amputee leaves the water. (If an amputee has a long residual limb that extends most of the inside length of a prosthesis, such as a Symes amputee, buoyancy is usually not a problem and the holes are not required.)

Swim legs may incorporate special knee joints, and/or ankle joints that meet the unique requirements of being in and around water.

A custom leg designed for use in the shower might not include the holes to enable water to enter the leg since buoyancy is not an issue when taking a shower. Some prosthetic manufacturing companies have their own versions of shower legs.

Any leg that is used for walking around wet, slippery surfaces, such as around a pool or in the shower, should have a non-slip surface on the bottom of the foot to prevent slipping.

Prosthetists will often design a custom fitting to meet your special needs.

• Knees 
• Ankles 
• Shower / Beach Leg 
• Customized Fittings 

For young above-knee amputees a knee joint is usually not included in a swim leg, instead a simple, straight leg is fabricated with holes to allow water to partially fill the hollow interior.

A locking knee is incorporated when the amputee wishes to have a knee joint that bends for walking around the pool or at the beach, and then locks to put the leg in a straight position for use in the water. It is important to have a locked knee when you are in the water, if not the lower part of the leg will float up and will not be stable underneath you when you need to walk in the water or keep your leg straight for your swimming kick.

The Aulie Nylon Knee is designed specifically for water use and can be locked with a pin system -- it is also available with or without hydraulic control. It fits in adolescent and adult swim legs.

Sometimes prosthetists in making a swim leg will use other knees not specifically designed for water use. This particularly applies to limbs for young children as no commercial child's waterproof knee is available. One prosthetist used an Otto Bock Single Axis child's locking knee that locks or unlocks with a cable -- although the components will corrode over time, the knee was inexpensive enough to justify using it in a swim leg to provide a child with a bending knee for walking and the security of a locked knee for swimming. Another prosthetist adapted an Otto Bock 3P21 knee for a knee disarticulation adolescent so that it could to be locked using a small removable pin.

Ankles can be incorporated into swim legs to allow the swimmer to lock the foot into a pointed position, simulating the natural position of a foot when swimming. The ankle is locked into one position for walking, and then changed to a pointed position for swimming.

• The Ortholite Leisure ankle uses a lever to enable the amputee to change the foot from a walking to a swimming position, and is suitable for most swimming legs (except those for very young children).
• The ActivAnkle and Swimankle both enable the amputee to change the foot position from walking to swimming, and are suitable for adolescents and adults.

 

Aqualimb  The Aqualimb by Endolite has a one piece design eliminating the need for any customizing. An optional suspension sleeve is also available. It incorporates a SACH foot and is suitable for adolescents and adults. It has non-slip treads on the sole of the foot, and can also be worn for activities at the beach or pool.

Fillauer Shower Leg  The Fillauer Shower Leg is waterproof and lightweight with a soft rubberized foot. A variety of transfer paper patterns are also available.    Aqualine  The Aqualine by Otto Bock offers a line of components designed for use in water.  It features an Aqua knee and foot with treads.

For specific activities like scuba diving, prosthetists will sometimes come up with unique designs, such as a socket with a foot shape molded onto the bottom in a pointed position. A scuba fin is then slipped over the foot.