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De Luigi AJ. The effects on sports performance of technologic advances in sports prostheses and wheelchairs. PM R 2024; 16:409-417. [PMID: 38545751 DOI: 10.1002/pmrj.13153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The field of medicine continues to advance as new technologies emerge. These technological advancements include the science of sports prostheses and wheelchairs, in which there have been significant advancements over the past decades. The world of adaptive sports continues to expand, largely due to a combination of the increase in awareness, inclusion, and technology. As participation in sports for people with impairments increases, there has been an associated demand for new, innovative adaptive sporting equipment designs that help accommodate the physical deficits of the individual. Controversy has risen as persons with disabilities advance their skills with adaptive sports equipment to compete with individuals without disabilities. The controversy leads to the question: is the adaptive equipment allowing athletes with disability to regain the lost function from their baseline or does it allow them to exceed prior ability level? This narrative review provides information regarding the performance effects of advances in technology and biomechanics of adaptive sports equipment to help answer these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Jason De Luigi
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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2
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Ruxin TR, Halsne EG, Hafner BJ, Shofer J, Hansen AH, Childers WL, Caputo JM, Morgenroth DC. The development of rating scales to evaluate experiential prosthetic foot preference for people with lower limb amputation. PM R 2024; 16:150-159. [PMID: 37329558 DOI: 10.1002/pmrj.13024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Selection of a foot is an important aspect of prosthetic prescription and vital to maximizing mobility and functional goals after lower limb amputation. Development of a standardized approach to soliciting user experiential preferences is needed to improve evaluation and comparison of prosthetic feet. OBJECTIVE To develop rating scales to assess prosthetic foot preference and to evaluate use of these scales in people with transtibial amputation after trialing different prosthetic feet. DESIGN Participant-blinded, repeated measures crossover trial. SETTING Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense Medical Centers, laboratory setting. PARTICIPANTS Seventy-two male prosthesis users with unilateral transtibial amputation started, and 68 participants completed this study. INTERVENTIONS Participants trialed three mobility-level appropriate commercial prosthetic feet briefly in the laboratory. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES "Activity-specific" rating scales were developed to assess participants' ability with a given prosthetic foot to perform typical mobility activities (eg, walking at different speeds, on inclines, and stairs) and "global" scales to rate overall perceived energy required to walk, satisfaction, and willingness to regularly use the prosthetic foot. Foot preference was determined by comparing the rating scale scores, after laboratory testing. RESULTS The greatest within-participant differences in scores among feet were observed in the "incline" activity, where 57% ± 6% of participants reported 2+ point differences. There was a significant association (p < .05) between all "activity-specific" rating scores (except standing) and each "global" rating score. CONCLUSIONS The standardized rating scales developed in this study could be used to assess prosthetic foot preference in both the research and clinical settings to guide prosthetic foot prescription for people with lower limb amputation capable of a range of mobility levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia R Ruxin
- VA RR&D Center for Limb Loss and Mobility (CLiMB), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Elizabeth G Halsne
- VA RR&D Center for Limb Loss and Mobility (CLiMB), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Brian J Hafner
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jane Shofer
- VA RR&D Center for Limb Loss and Mobility (CLiMB), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Andrew H Hansen
- Minneapolis Adaptive Design & Engineering (MADE) Program, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - W Lee Childers
- Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for the Intrepid, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Joshua M Caputo
- Human Motion Technologies LLC (Humotech), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David C Morgenroth
- VA RR&D Center for Limb Loss and Mobility (CLiMB), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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3
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Toney-Bolger ME, Chang YH. The motor and the brake of the trailing leg in human walking: transtibial amputation limits ankle-knee torque covariation. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:161-174. [PMID: 36411328 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06513-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Lower-limb amputation limits inherent motor abundance in the locomotor system and impairs walking mechanics. Able-bodied walkers vary ankle torque to adjust step-to-step leg force production as measured by resultant ground reaction forces. Simultaneously, knee torque covaries with ankle torque to act as a brake, resulting in consistent peak leg power output measured by external mechanical power generated on the center of mass. Our objective was to test how leg force control during gait is affected by joint torque variance structure in the amputated limb. Within the framework of the uncontrolled manifold analysis, we measured the Index of Motor Abundance (IMA) to quantify joint torque variance structure of amputated legs and its effect on leg force, where IMA > 0 indicates a stabilizing structure. We further evaluated the extent to which IMA in amputated legs used individual (INV) and coordinated (COV) joint control strategies. Amputated legs produced IMA and INV values similar to intact legs, indicating that torque deviations of the prosthetic ankle can modulate leg force at the end of stance phase. However, we observed much lower COV values in the amputated leg relative to intact legs indicating that biological knee joint torque of the amputated leg does not covary with prosthetic ankle torque. This observation suggests inter-joint coordination during gait is significantly limited as a result of transtibial amputation and may help explain the higher rate of falls and impaired balance recovery in this population, pointing to a greater need to focus on inter-joint coordination within the amputated limb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Toney-Bolger
- Exponent, Inc, Farmington Hills, MI, USA
- Comparative Neuromechanics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 555 14th St NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0356, USA
| | - Young-Hui Chang
- Comparative Neuromechanics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 555 14th St NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0356, USA.
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4
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Kobayashi T, Koh MWP, Hu M, Murata H, Hisano G, Ichimura D, Hobara H. Effects of step frequency during running on the magnitude and symmetry of ground reaction forces in individuals with a transfemoral amputation. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2022; 19:33. [PMID: 35321725 PMCID: PMC8944140 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-022-01012-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with unilateral transfemoral amputation are prone to developing health conditions such as knee osteoarthritis, caused by additional loading on the intact limb. Such individuals who can run again may be at higher risk due to higher ground reaction forces (GRFs) as well as asymmetric gait patterns. The two aims of this study were to investigate manipulating step frequency as a method to reduce GRFs and its effect on asymmetric gait patterns in individuals with unilateral transfemoral amputation while running. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study. Nine experienced track and field athletes with unilateral transfemoral amputation were recruited for this study. After calculation of each participant's preferred step frequency, each individual ran on an instrumented treadmill for 20 s at nine different metronome frequencies ranging from - 20% to + 20% of the preferred frequency in increments of 5% with the help of a metronome. From the data collected, spatiotemporal parameters, three components of peak GRFs, and the components of GRF impulses were computed. The asymmetry ratio of all parameters was also calculated. Statistical analyses of all data were conducted with appropriate tools based on normality analysis to investigate the main effects of step frequency. For parameters with significant main effects, linear regression analyses were further conducted for each limb. RESULTS Significant main effects of step frequency were found in multiple parameters (P < 0.01). Both peak GRF and GRF impulse parameters that demonstrated significant main effects tended towards decreasing magnitude with increasing step frequency. Peak vertical GRF in particular demonstrated the most symmetric values between the limbs from - 5% to 0% metronome frequency. All parameters that demonstrated significant effects in asymmetry ratio became more asymmetric with increasing step frequency. CONCLUSIONS For runners with a unilateral transfemoral amputation, increasing step frequency is a viable method to decrease the magnitude of GRFs. However, with the increase of step frequency, further asymmetry in gait is observed. The relationships between step frequency, GRFs, and the asymmetry ratio in gait may provide insight into the training of runners with unilateral transfemoral amputation for the prevention of injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiki Kobayashi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mark W P Koh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mingyu Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hiroto Murata
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Waterfront 3F, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Genki Hisano
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Waterfront 3F, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan.,Department of Systems and Control Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ichimura
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Waterfront 3F, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Hobara
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Waterfront 3F, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan.
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A Multimodal Sensory Apparatus for Robotic Prosthetic Feet Combining Optoelectronic Pressure Transducers and IMU. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22051731. [PMID: 35270877 PMCID: PMC8914932 DOI: 10.3390/s22051731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Timely and reliable identification of control phases is functional to the control of a powered robotic lower-limb prosthesis. This study presents a commercial energy-store-and-release foot prosthesis instrumented with a multimodal sensory system comprising optoelectronic pressure sensors (PS) and IMU. The performance was verified with eight healthy participants, comparing signals processed by two different algorithms, based on PS and IMU, respectively, for real-time detection of heel strike (HS) and toe-off (TO) events and an estimate of relevant biomechanical variables such as vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and center of pressure along the sagittal axis (CoPy). The performance of both algorithms was benchmarked against a force platform and a marker-based stereophotogrammetric motion capture system. HS and TO were estimated with a time error lower than 0.100 s for both the algorithms, sufficient for the control of a lower-limb robotic prosthesis. Finally, the CoPy computed from the PS showed a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.97 (0.02) with the same variable computed through the force platform.
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Atar MÖ, Demir Y, Kamacı GK, Tekin E, Erdem Y, Atar C, Aydemir K. A comparison of two different prosthetic feet on functional capacity, pain severity, satisfaction level and quality of life in high activity patients with unilateral traumatic transtibial amputation. Injury 2022; 53:434-439. [PMID: 34922733 DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2021.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
AIM Prescribing optimal prosthetic feet to ensure successful rehabilitation is difficult since there are no generally established clinical guidelines based on objective data. The aim of the study was to compare functional capacity, pain intensity, satisfaction level and quality of life (QoL) of high activity patients with unilateral transtibial amputation using non-articulated carbon foot (non-articulating ankle, NAA) with those of using carbon foot with hydraulic ankle (articulating hydraulic ankle, AHA). METHODS Forty-two patients (21 with NAA and 21 with AHA) with unilateral transtibial traumatic amputation from tertiary rehabilitation center were participated in this cross-sectional study. Outcome measures were six-minute walking test (6MWT), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). The level of difficulty experienced during ambulating on different terrains was recorded on a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS There were no significant statistical differences in 6MWT, pain intensity, prosthetic foot satisfaction level and QoL between the two groups. The level of difficulty experienced during descending ramps was higher in the NAA group than in the AHA group (p = 0.016). The most common reason for dissatisfaction were inflexibility for the NAA group (14.3%), frequent dysfunction for the AHA group (28.6%). CONCLUSION Our results showed that the level of difficulty experienced during descending ramps was higher in the NAA group than in the AHA group. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed comparing microprocessor AHAs with NAA and AHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Örücü Atar
- Gaziler Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Yasin Demir
- Gaziler Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gizem Kılınç Kamacı
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Energy Systems Engineering Department, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Elif Tekin
- Gaziler Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Erdem
- Gülhane Training and Research Hospital, Department of Orthopedics, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Cihan Atar
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Energy Systems Engineering Department, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Koray Aydemir
- Gaziler Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey
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7
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Syrett ED, Peterson CL, Darter BJ. Assessing the effects of gait asymmetry: Using a split-belt treadmill walking protocol to change step length and peak knee joint contact force symmetry. J Biomech 2021; 125:110583. [PMID: 34198019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Asymmetrical gait may affect important outcomes such as knee joint contact force (KJCF). A split-belt treadmill (SBTM) can be used to provoke changes in step length symmetry (SLsym) and may produce a similar response in KJCF symmetry (KJCFsym) between limbs. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of employing a SBTM walking paradigm to alter KJCF and KJCFsym and to determine if changes in SLsym coincided with changes in KJCFsym. Twenty healthy individuals performed a standardized SBTM protocol, where baseline and post-adaptation conditions had tied belt speeds of 0.5 m/s and the split-adaptation condition used a 3:1 belt speed ratio. OpenSim techniques were used to produce normalized, averaged stance phase peak KJCF during baseline walking, early- and late-adaptation, and post-adaptation. SLsym and KJCFsym values were determined. Comparisons were made for symmetry values between early- and late-adaptation and between baseline and post-adaptation. SLsym and KJCFsym did not respond in the same manner during the walking conditions. While step lengths (SL) were asymmetric during early adaptation but become more symmetric by late adaptation (p < 0.01), KJCF was symmetric throughout adaptation. Conversely, SL and KJCF exhibited similar responses during the baseline and post-adaptation conditions, with symmetry at baseline and asymmetry during post-adaptation (p < 0.01). In the post-adaptation condition, higher peak forces were demonstrated on the limb taking a shorter step. Results suggest a SBTM program may alter KJCF and KJCFsym between limbs. Furthermore, a comparison between baseline and post-adaptation may be more appropriate for evaluating the relationship between SL and KJCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Daniel Syrett
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Carrie L Peterson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Benjamin J Darter
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA; Department of Research, Hunter Holmes McGuire Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, USA.
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8
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Kaufman KR, Bernhardt K. Functional performance differences between carbon fiber and fiberglass prosthetic feet. Prosthet Orthot Int 2021; 45:205-213. [PMID: 33856155 DOI: 10.1097/pxr.0000000000000004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persons with lower limb amputation require increased functionality. The largest category of feet for active individuals with a transtibial amputation is energy storage and return (ESR) feet. These feet are typically constructed of carbon fiber composite materials. Recently, a prosthetic foot composed of a fiberglass composite has emerged in the market. However, there are no comparative studies of these devices. OBJECTIVES Compare the biomechanical performance and prosthesis-related quality of life when using a fiberglass prosthetic foot design compared with traditional carbon fiber ESR designs. STUDY DESIGN This is a repeated-measures randomized cross-over trial. METHODS Gait analysis was performed on 10 experienced male subjects with unilateral transtibial amputations (K-level III) while walking on level ground and a ramp. Patient-reported outcomes were collected using the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire. RESULTS Gait data demonstrated increased ankle dorsiflexion (P < .01), similar ankle moments (P = .07), and increased ankle power generation (P = .01) when using the fiberglass foot. The increased power generation occurred at the correct time in the gait cycle such that the timing and magnitude of peak knee flexion was unaffected (P > .19). The fiberglass foot had greater energy absorption during gait (P = .01) with no difference in energy return (P = .37). The subjects expressed improved prosthesis-related quality of life with the fiberglass foot (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study demonstrate that the new ESR foot comprising a fiberglass material had better performance than traditional designs using a carbon fiber material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenton R Kaufman
- Motion Analysis Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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9
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Higher relative effort of the knee relates to faster adaptation in older adults at risk for mobility disability. Exp Gerontol 2020; 144:111192. [PMID: 33290863 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Gait adaptation is crucial for adults at risk for mobility disability, and executive function and physical function may be important for adaptation performance. Gait adaptation can be measured using a treadmill with two belts, known as a split-belt treadmill. Increasing evidence supports that gait adaptability, executive function, and physical function are interrelated in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine if: a) executive function and measures of relative effort of the ankle and knee relate to split-belt treadmill adaptation; b) older adults classified as fast adapters display differences in relative effort, executive function, and propulsive impulse (push-off) compared to slow adapters; and c) spatial and temporal control differ between individuals with faster rate of adaptation compared to those with slower rates of adaptation. Greater effort of the knee on the slow belt was related to faster early adaptation (r = 0.650, p = 0.005) indicating its importance for adapting quickly to the perturbation. We did not observe a relationship between cognitive tests and adaptation performance. We did not detect any statistical differences in cognitive tests performance, push-off, spatial or temporal control between fast adapters compared to slow adapters. Our results suggest that in older adults at risk for mobility disability, higher effort at the knee is important for early split-belt adaptation.
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10
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Christensen JC, Kline PW, Murray AM, Christiansen CL. Movement asymmetry during low and high demand mobility tasks after dysvascular transtibial amputation. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2020; 80:105102. [PMID: 32768801 PMCID: PMC8793036 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2020.105102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Movement asymmetries between lower limbs are commonly exhibited by adults after transtibial amputation. However, the degree of movement asymmetry between low- and high-demand functional tasks remains unknown. METHODS Kinematic and kinetic data were collected during overground walking (low-demand) and step ascent (high-demand) tasks for two groups: 1) persons with transtibial amputation and 2) healthy matched peers. Analysis of covariance was used to compare sagittal-plane peak knee moment and joint angle (primary) and hip and ankle moments and joint angles, vertical ground reaction force and impulse (secondary). FINDINGS Within transtibial amputation group comparisons showed significantly greater between-limb asymmetry in peak knee moment (p < .01), vertical impulse (p < .01), peak vertical ground reaction force (p = .05), peak ankle angle (p < .01) and peak ankle moment (p < .01) with the step ascent task compared to overground walking. The transtibial amputation group had greater between-limb asymmetry during step ascent in peak knee moment (p < .01), vertical impulse (p < .01), peak vertical ground reaction force (p = .04) and peak ankle angle (p < .01) than healthy matched peers. During overground walking, the transtibial amputation group had greater between-limb asymmetry in peak vertical impulse (p = .05) and peak ankle moment (p < .01) than healthy matched peers. INTERPRETATION Movement asymmetry is increased during step ascent compared to overground walking for adults with transtibial amputation. While the restoration of overground walking is the focus of post-amputation rehabilitation and prosthetic design, higher demand tasks should also be considered to maximize mobility for adults with transtibial amputation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse C Christensen
- University of Utah, Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, United States of America; Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, United States of America; University of Colorado, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, United States of America; Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, United States of America.
| | - Paul W Kline
- University of Colorado, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, United States of America; High Point University, Department of Physical Therapy, United States of America.
| | - Amanda M Murray
- University of Toledo, School of Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, United States of America.
| | - Cory L Christiansen
- University of Colorado, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, United States of America; Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, United States of America.
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11
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Elery T, Rezazadeh S, Reznick E, Gray L, Gregg RD. Effects of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis on Amputee Hip Compensations: A Case Series. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2020; 28:2944-2954. [PMID: 33232241 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2020.3040260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Transfemoral amputee gait often exhibits compensations due to the lack of ankle push-off power and control over swing foot position using passive prostheses. Powered prostheses can restore this functionality, but their effects on compensatory behaviors, specifically at the residual hip, are not well understood. This paper investigates residual hip compensations through walking experiments with three transfemoral amputees using a low-impedance powered knee-ankle prosthesis compared to their day-to-day passive prosthesis. The powered prosthesis used impedance control during stance for compliant interaction with the ground, a time-based push-off controller to deliver high torque and power, and phase-based trajectory tracking during swing to provide user control over foot placement. Experiments show that when subjects utilized the powered ankle push-off, less mechanical pull-off power was required from the residual hip to progress the limb forward. Overall positive work at the residual hip was reduced for 2 of 3 subjects, and negative work was reduced for all subjects. Moreover, all subjects displayed increased step length, increased propulsive impulses on the prosthetic side, and improved impulse symmetries. Hip circumduction improved for subjects who had previously exhibited this compensation on their passive prosthesis. These improvements in gait, especially reduced residual hip power and work, have the potential to reduce fatigue and overuse injuries in persons with transfemoral amputation.
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12
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Verheul FJMG, Verschuren O, Zwinkels M, Herwegh M, Michielsen A, de Haan M, van Wijk I. Effectiveness of a crossover prosthetic foot in active children with a congenital lower limb deficiency: an explorative study. Prosthet Orthot Int 2020; 44:305-313. [PMID: 32370612 DOI: 10.1177/0309364620912063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with lower limb prostheses cannot always keep up with their peers during active play. A pediatric crossover foot may be a promising prosthetic alternative for children engaging in high-intensity movements necessary for active play. OBJECTIVES To compare children's walking performance, running performance, experienced competence, and cosmesis using their prescribed prosthesis compared with the crossover foot. STUDY DESIGN Pretest-posttest study. METHODS Children with lower limb amputation or deficiency were recruited. Measurements were taken at baseline with the prescribed prosthesis and 6 weeks later with the crossover foot. Walking speed, energy cost of walking, anaerobic muscle power, stair climbing speed, ankle power, and cosmesis were evaluated. RESULTS Four children participated in the study. Two children had increased walking speed with the same energy cost, one child had decreased speed with increased energy cost, and one child had the same speed with decreased energy cost. Muscle power increased for three of the four children and ankle power increased for all children while using the crossover foot compared to the prescribed prosthesis. Two children reported knee pain or feeling excessive knee flexion when running with the crossover foot. One child reported negative feelings toward cosmesis of the crossover foot. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests crossover foot may benefit active children by improving walking and running performance, and decreasing energy cost. However, knee pain reports or negative feelings toward the atypical design suggest the crossover foot may not be ideal for every child. Further research is needed to determine which pediatric users would benefit from this type of prosthetic foot. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Children with lower limb deficiencies are active prosthetic users who often switch between low- and high-intensity movements in their daily activities. Therefore, they might benefit from a crossover prosthetic design. The preliminary findings of this study suggest the crossover foot (XF) may be a promising foot for active children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor Jacoba Marie-Georgette Verheul
- Pediatric Department, De Hoogstraat Revalidatie, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Olaf Verschuren
- Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maremka Zwinkels
- Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Sports, De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska Herwegh
- Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Sports, De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anka Michielsen
- Pediatric Department, De Hoogstraat Revalidatie, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke de Haan
- Pediatric Department, De Hoogstraat Revalidatie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Iris van Wijk
- Pediatric Department, De Hoogstraat Revalidatie, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.,De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Science & Sports, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
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13
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Abstract
Specifications of actuators when interacting with biological systems such as the human body are entirely different from those used in industrial machines or robots. One important instance of such applications is assistive devices and prostheses. Among various approaches in designing prostheses, recently, semi-active systems attracted the interest of researchers. Even more, some commercial systems benefit from designs such as implementing an adjustable damper in the ankle prosthesis to increase range of motion. The main reason for adding damper is to assist amputees’ walking locomotion on slopes (especially downward). In this paper, we introduce a hydraulic damper design for use in the transtibial prosthetic foot. In the fabricated hydraulic prosthetic foot, two one-way flow control valves are exploited to tune the damping ratio in the plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, independently. Using the carbon prosthetic foot in series to a damper and spring could improve mimicking intact foot movement. First, we present the details of the damper and the prosthesis mechanical design. Then, we introduce experiment-based modeling for the damper’s conceptual design in the proposed prosthesis using SIM-Hydraulic and MATLAB. This device is fabricated and tested in a pilot experiment. The compact design with reduced weight and size of the prosthetic foot are additional advantages of the proposed prosthetic foot.
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14
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Vu HTT, Dong D, Cao HL, Verstraten T, Lefeber D, Vanderborght B, Geeroms J. A Review of Gait Phase Detection Algorithms for Lower Limb Prostheses. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 20:E3972. [PMID: 32708924 PMCID: PMC7411778 DOI: 10.3390/s20143972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Fast and accurate gait phase detection is essential to achieve effective powered lower-limb prostheses and exoskeletons. As the versatility but also the complexity of these robotic devices increases, the research on how to make gait detection algorithms more performant and their sensing devices smaller and more wearable gains interest. A functional gait detection algorithm will improve the precision, stability, and safety of prostheses, and other rehabilitation devices. In the past years the state-of-the-art has advanced significantly in terms of sensors, signal processing, and gait detection algorithms. In this review, we investigate studies and developments in the field of gait event detection methods, more precisely applied to prosthetic devices. We compared advantages and limitations between all the proposed methods and extracted the relevant questions and recommendations about gait detection methods for future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huong Thi Thu Vu
- Robotics & Multibody Mechanics Research Group (R & MM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (D.D.); (H.-L.C.); (T.V.); (D.L.); (B.V.); (J.G.)
- Faculty of Electronics Engineering Technology, Hanoi University of Industry, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Dianbiao Dong
- Robotics & Multibody Mechanics Research Group (R & MM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (D.D.); (H.-L.C.); (T.V.); (D.L.); (B.V.); (J.G.)
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Hoang-Long Cao
- Robotics & Multibody Mechanics Research Group (R & MM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (D.D.); (H.-L.C.); (T.V.); (D.L.); (B.V.); (J.G.)
- College of Engineering Technology, Can Tho University, Can Tho 90000, Vietnam
| | - Tom Verstraten
- Robotics & Multibody Mechanics Research Group (R & MM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (D.D.); (H.-L.C.); (T.V.); (D.L.); (B.V.); (J.G.)
| | - Dirk Lefeber
- Robotics & Multibody Mechanics Research Group (R & MM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (D.D.); (H.-L.C.); (T.V.); (D.L.); (B.V.); (J.G.)
| | - Bram Vanderborght
- Robotics & Multibody Mechanics Research Group (R & MM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (D.D.); (H.-L.C.); (T.V.); (D.L.); (B.V.); (J.G.)
| | - Joost Geeroms
- Robotics & Multibody Mechanics Research Group (R & MM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (D.D.); (H.-L.C.); (T.V.); (D.L.); (B.V.); (J.G.)
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15
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Brandt A, Riddick W, Stallrich J, Lewek M, Huang HH. Effects of extended powered knee prosthesis stance time via visual feedback on gait symmetry of individuals with unilateral amputation: a preliminary study. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2019; 16:112. [PMID: 31511010 PMCID: PMC6737689 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-019-0583-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Establishing gait symmetry is a major aim of amputee rehabilitation and may be more attainable with powered prostheses. Though, based on previous work, we postulate that users transfer a previously-learned motor pattern across devices, limiting the functionality of more advanced prostheses. The objective of this study was to preliminarily investigate the effect of increased stance time via visual feedback on amputees' gait symmetry using powered and passive knee prostheses. METHODS Five individuals with transfemoral amputation or knee disarticulation walked at their self-selected speed on a treadmill. Visual feedback was used to promote an increase in the amputated-limb stance time. Individuals were fit with a commercially-available powered prosthesis by a certified prosthetist and practiced walking during a prior visit. The same protocol was completed with a passive knee and powered knee prosthesis on separate days. We used repeated-measures, two-way ANOVA (alpha = 0.05) to test for significant effects of the feedback and device factors. Our main outcome measures were stance time asymmetry, peak anterior-posterior ground reaction forces, and peak anterior propulsion asymmetry. RESULTS Increasing the amputated-limb stance time via visual feedback significantly improved the stance time symmetry (p = 0.012) and peak propulsion symmetry (p = 0.036) of individuals walking with both prostheses. With the powered knee prosthesis, the highest feedback target elicited 36% improvement in stance time symmetry, 22% increase in prosthesis-side peak propulsion, and 47% improvement in peak propulsion symmetry compared to a no feedback condition. The changes with feedback were not different with the passive prosthesis, and the main effects of device/ prosthesis type were not statistically different. However, subject by device interactions were significant, indicating individuals did not respond consistently with each device (e.g. prosthesis-side propulsion remained comparable to or was greater with the powered versus passive prosthesis for different subjects). Overall, prosthesis-side peak propulsion averaged across conditions was 31% greater with the powered prosthesis and peak propulsion asymmetry improved by 48% with the powered prosthesis. CONCLUSIONS Increasing prosthesis-side stance time via visual feedback favorably improved individuals' temporal and propulsive symmetry. The powered prosthesis commonly enabled greater propulsion, but individuals adapted to each device with varying behavior, requiring further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Brandt
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, 4402D Engineering Building III, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27606 USA
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | | | - Jonathan Stallrich
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606 USA
| | - Michael Lewek
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Division of Physical Therapy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - He Helen Huang
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, 4402D Engineering Building III, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27606 USA
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
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16
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Price MA, Beckerle P, Sup FC. Design Optimization in Lower Limb Prostheses: A Review. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2019; 27:1574-1588. [PMID: 31283485 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2019.2927094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
This paper aims to develop a knowledge base and identify the promising research pathways toward designing lower limb prostheses for optimal biomechanical and clinical outcomes. It is based on the literature search representing the state of the art in the lower limb prosthesis joint design and biomechanical analysis. Current design solutions are organized in terms of fulfilling four key functional roles: body support, propulsion, task flexibility, and loading relief. Biomechanical analyses of these designs reveal that the hypothesized outcomes are not consistently observed. We suggest that these outcomes may be improved by incorporating tools that can predict user performance metrics to optimize the device during the initial design process. We also note that the scope of the solution space of most current designs is limited by focusing on the anthropomorphic design approaches that do not account for the person's altered anatomy post-amputation. The effects of the prosthetic joint behavior on whole-body gait biomechanics and user experience are likewise under-explored. Two research paths to support the goal of better predicting the user outcomes are proposed: experimental parameterization of designs and model-based simulations. However, while work in these areas has introduced promising new possibilities, connecting both to improve real-world performance remains a challenge.
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17
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Zhang T, Bai X, Liu F, Fan Y. Effect of prosthetic alignment on gait and biomechanical loading in individuals with transfemoral amputation: A preliminary study. Gait Posture 2019; 71:219-226. [PMID: 31078826 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2019.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inappropriate biomechanical loading usually leads to a high incidence of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) in individuals with lower-limb amputation, and prosthetic alignment may be an important influencing factor. The effect of alignment on the lower limb loading remains quantitatively unclear, and the relationship between malalignment and joint diseases is undefined. RESEARCH QUESTION How does alignment affect spatiotemporal gait parameters and ground reaction force (GRF) in individuals with transfemoral amputation? METHODS Gait tests of 10 individuals with transfemoral amputation were performed with recommended alignment and eight malalignments, including 10 mm socket translation (anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral) and 6° socket angular changes (flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction). Fifteen individuals without amputation were recruited as a control group. The differences in spatiotemporal and GRF parameters under different alignments were analyzed and compared with those of the control group. Statistical analyses were performed by one-way ANOVA, repeated measure multivariate ANOVA, and paired t tests. RESULTS The medial GRF peaks and impulse on both sides and load rate on the intact side are significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.0056). The propulsive and braking peaks, vertical impulse, and medial and vertical load rates of GRF on the intact side are higher than those on the residual side (P < 0.05). The alignment of socket adduction significantly increases medial GRF peak and impulse on both sides (P < 0.0056). SIGNIFICANCE Alignments exert remarkable and complicated effects on the biomechanical performance. The considerably higher GRF on the intact side of the individuals with transfemoral amputation may lead to internal stress changes of the intact joint, which may be an inducement for high incidence of joint diseases. Probably due to the increased lateral deviation of the center of gravity, the socket adduction alignment significantly increases medial GRF, which may lead to an increased risk of knee OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengyu Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No.37, Xueyuan Road, haidian district, Beijing, China; National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, No.1, Ronghuazhonglu, BDA, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technical Aids for Old-Age Disability, No. 1, Ronghuazhonglu, BDA, Beijing, China
| | - Xuefei Bai
- National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, No.1, Ronghuazhonglu, BDA, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Human Motion Analysis and Rehabilitation Technology of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, No. 1, Ronghuazhonglu, BDA, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Liu
- National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, No.1, Ronghuazhonglu, BDA, Beijing, China
| | - Yubo Fan
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No.37, Xueyuan Road, haidian district, Beijing, China; National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, No.1, Ronghuazhonglu, BDA, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technical Aids for Old-Age Disability, No. 1, Ronghuazhonglu, BDA, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37, Xueyuan Road, haidian district, Beijing, China.
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18
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Womac ND, Neptune RR, Klute GK. Stiffness and energy storage characteristics of energy storage and return prosthetic feet. Prosthet Orthot Int 2019; 43:266-275. [PMID: 30688551 DOI: 10.1177/0309364618823127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mechanical properties of prosthetic feet can significantly influence amputee gait, but how they vary with respect to limb loading and orientation is infrequently reported. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to measure stiffness and energy storage characteristics of prosthetic feet across limb loading and a range of orientations experienced in typical gait. STUDY DESIGN This study included mechanical testing. METHODS Force-displacement data were collected at combinations of 15 sagittal and 5 coronal orientations and used to calculate stiffness and energy storage across prosthetic feet, stiffness categories, and heel wedge conditions. RESULTS Stiffness and energy storage were highly non-linear in both the sagittal and coronal planes. Across all prosthetic feet, stiffness decreased with greater heel, forefoot, medial, and lateral orientations, while energy storage increased with forefoot, medial, and lateral loading orientations. Stiffness category was proportional to stiffness and inversely proportional to energy storage. Heel wedge effects were prosthetic foot dependent. CONCLUSION Orientation, manufacturer, stiffness category, and heel wedge inclusion greatly influenced stiffness and energy storage characteristics. CLINICAL RELEVANCE These results and an available graphical user interface tool may help improve clinical prescriptions by providing prosthetists with quantitative measures to compare prosthetic feet.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Glenn K Klute
- 2 Center for Limb Loss and MoBility, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,3 University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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19
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Liu C, Macedo LD, Finley JM. Conservation of Reactive Stabilization Strategies in the Presence of Step Length Asymmetries During Walking. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:251. [PMID: 29997488 PMCID: PMC6030543 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to maintain dynamic balance in response to unexpected perturbations during walking is largely mediated by reactive control strategies. Reactive control during perturbed walking can be characterized by multiple metrics such as measures of whole-body angular momentum (WBAM), which capture the rotational dynamics of the body, and through Floquet analysis which captures the orbital stability of a limit cycle attractor. Recent studies have demonstrated that people with spatiotemporal asymmetries during gait have impaired control of whole-body dynamics as evidenced by higher peak-to-peak ranges of WBAM over the gait cycle. While this may suggest that spatiotemporal asymmetries could impair stability, no studies have quantified how direct modification of asymmetry influences reactive balance control. Here, we used a biofeedback paradigm that allows participants to systematically adopt different levels of step length asymmetry to test the hypothesis that walking asymmetrically impairs the reactive control of balance. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that perturbations to the non-dominant leg would cause less whole-body rotation due to its hypothesized role in weight support during walking. We characterized reactive control strategies in two ways. We first computed integrated angular momentum to characterize changes in whole-body configuration during multi-step responses to perturbations. We also computed the maximum Floquet multipliers (FMs) across the gait cycle, which represent the rate of convergence back to limit cycle behavior. Our results show that integrated angular momentum during the perturbation step and subsequent recovery steps, as well as the magnitude of maximum FMs over the gait cycle, do not change across levels of asymmetry. However, our results showed both limb-dependent and limb-independent responses to unexpected perturbations. Overall, our findings suggest that there is no causal relationship between step length asymmetry and impaired reactive control of balance in the absence of neuromotor impairments. Our approach could be used in future studies to determine if reducing asymmetries in populations with neuromotor impairments, such people post-stroke or amputees improves dynamic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lucas De Macedo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Departamento de Engenharia Eletrica, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - James M Finley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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20
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Strike SC, Arcone D, Orendurff M. Running at submaximal speeds, the role of the intact and prosthetic limbs for trans-tibial amputees. Gait Posture 2018; 62:327-332. [PMID: 29614465 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2018.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dynamic Elastic Response prostheses are designed to absorb and return strain energy in running. Past research has focused on running prostheses with a single toe spring designed for high speeds. RESEARCH QUESTION To determine how runners with amputation modulate the ground reaction force of each limb to run at different speeds using a general-purpose dynamic prosthesis which has a heel spring. METHODS Overground running data were collected in 16 recreational runners (8 transtibial amputee using their own BladeXT prosthesis and 8 controls) using Vicon Nexus V.2.5 with Kistler force plates. Participants ran at self-selected running pace, 70% and 130% of that pace. Vertical, braking and propulsion peak ground reaction forces and impulses and vertical loading and decay rates were analysed between limbs at each speed (ANOVA) and their association with speed assessed (simple linear regression). RESULTS The vertical, braking forces and impulses and propulsive force were significantly less (p < 0.05) on the prosthetic limb than controls at the faster speed, but there was no difference in the propulsive impulse. The intact limb did not evidence increased vertical force at any speed, but experienced increased braking (p < 0.05) compared to both prosthetic limb and controls at the slow speed. For all limbs, braking and propulsive peak forces, decay rate, step length and step frequency were strongly (r > 0.6) and significantly (p < 0.05) associated with speed. On the prosthetic limb vertical impulse was strongly and significantly negatively associated with speed and control's braking impulse was associated with speed. SIGNIFICANCE A leg-specific response was found at different speeds. On the prosthetic limb the technique was to brake less not propel more at higher speeds with reduced vertical drive. Running at self-selected speed could be used for fitness without inducing detrimental ground reaction forces on the intact limb or evoking asymmetry in step length and frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhan C Strike
- University of Roehampton, Department of Life Sciences, Whitelands College, SW15 4JD, London, UK.
| | - Daniela Arcone
- University of Roehampton, Department of Life Sciences, Whitelands College, SW15 4JD, London, UK
| | - Michael Orendurff
- Motion & Sports Performance Laboratory, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford, CA, USA
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21
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Ray SF, Wurdeman SR, Takahashi KZ. Prosthetic energy return during walking increases after 3 weeks of adaptation to a new device. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2018; 15:6. [PMID: 29374491 PMCID: PMC5787280 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-018-0347-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There are many studies that have investigated biomechanical differences among prosthetic feet, but not changes due to adaptation over time. There is a need for objective measures to quantify the process of adaptation for individuals with a transtibial amputation. Mechanical power and work profiles are a primary focus for modern energy-storage-and-return type prostheses, which strive to increase energy return from the prosthesis. The amount of energy a prosthesis stores and returns (i.e., negative and positive work) during stance is directly influenced by the user’s loading strategy, which may be sensitive to alterations during the course of an adaptation period. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in lower limb mechanical work profiles during walking following a three-week adaptation to a new prosthesis. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 22 individuals with a unilateral transtibial amputation. Individuals were given a new prosthesis at their current mobility level (K3 or above) and wore it for three weeks. Kinematic and kinetic measures were recorded from overground walking at 0, 1.5, and 3 weeks into the adaptation period at a self-selected pace. Positive and negative work done by the prosthesis and sound ankle-foot were calculated using a unified deformable segment model and a six-degrees-of-freedom model for the knee and hip. Results Positive work from the prosthesis ankle-foot increased by 6.1% and sound ankle-foot by 5.7% after 3 weeks (p = 0.041, 0.036). No significant changes were seen in negative work from prosthesis or sound ankle-foot (p = 0.115, 0.192). There was also a 4.1% increase in self-selected walking speed after 3 weeks (p = 0.038). Our data exhibited large inter-subject variations, in which some individuals followed group trends in work profiles while others had opposite trends in outcome variables. Conclusions After a 3-week adaptation, 14 out of 22 individuals with a transtibial amputation increased energy return from the prosthesis. Such findings could indicate that individuals may better utilize the spring-like function of the prosthesis after an adaptation period. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12984-018-0347-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel F Ray
- Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Shane R Wurdeman
- Department of Clinical and Scientific Affairs, Hanger Clinic, Houston Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kota Z Takahashi
- Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA.
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22
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Highsmith MJ, Kahle JT, Miro RM, Orendurff MS, Lewandowski AL, Orriola JJ, Sutton B, Ertl JP. Prosthetic interventions for people with transtibial amputation: Systematic review and meta-analysis of high-quality prospective literature and systematic reviews. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 53:157-84. [PMID: 27149143 DOI: 10.1682/jrrd.2015.03.0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Considering transtibial amputation (TTA) rehabilitation costs and complexity, high-quality literature should inform clinical practice. Systematic reviews (SRs) suggest this is not the case. This article's purpose was to review the highest-quality evidence available to guide clinical practice for TTA regarding five prosthetic intervention areas. Six databases were searched for high-quality SRs and prospective clinical trials (randomized clinical trials [RCTs]). Reviewers screened, sorted, rated (i.e., methodologic quality, bias risk), and extracted article data. Meta-analyses were conducted when possible. Thirty-one references were included (25 RCTs and 6 SRs). Five topical areas emerged (alignment, feet and ankles, interface, postoperative care, pylons). Twenty-three evidence statements were supported by level 2 evidence and eight by level 1 evidence. All RCTs reported randomization and reasonable data presentation. Concealed allocation and blinding were not widely used. Mean attrition was 11%. SRs included no meta-analyses. Functional level was poorly reported. Grouping feet and ankle components by functional classification enabled meta-analyses, though variance was considerable given the small sample sizes. Prosthetic interventions are generally safe for TTAs. High-quality literature enabled formulation of evidence statements to support select clinical practice areas, though quantity was lacking. Thus, numerous topics related to TTA care lack rigorous evidence. Although blinding in prosthetic research requires increased funding and effort, it could greatly improve the methodologic quality of prosthetic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jason Highsmith
- Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, Washington, DC
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23
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Jeffers JR, Grabowski AM. Individual Leg and Joint Work during Sloped Walking for People with a Transtibial Amputation Using Passive and Powered Prostheses. Front Robot AI 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2017.00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Wanamaker AB, Andridge RR, Chaudhari AM. When to biomechanically examine a lower-limb amputee: A systematic review of accommodation times. Prosthet Orthot Int 2017; 41:431-445. [PMID: 28946826 DOI: 10.1177/0309364616682385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hundreds of investigations examining biomechanical outcomes of various prostheses have been completed, but one question remains unanswered: how much time should an amputee be given to accommodate to a new prosthesis prior to biomechanical testing? OBJECTIVE To examine the literature for accommodation time given during biomechanical investigations to determine whether consensus exists. STUDY DESIGN Systematic review. METHODS A systematic search was completed on 7 January 2016 using PubMed and Scopus. RESULTS The search resulted in 156 investigations. Twenty-eight studies did not provide an accommodation or were unclear (e.g. provided a "break in period"), 5 studies tested their participants more than once, 25 tested only once and on the same day participants received a new prosthesis (median (range): above-knee: 60 (10-300) min; below-knee: 18 (5-300) min), and 98 tested once and gave a minimum of 1 day for accommodation (hip: 77 (60-180) days; above-knee: 42 (1-540) days; below-knee: 21 (1-475) days). CONCLUSION The lack of research specifically examining accommodation and the high variability in this review's results indicates that it remains undecided how much accommodation is necessary. There is a need for longitudinal biomechanical investigations to determine how outcomes change as amputees accommodate to a new prosthesis. Clinical relevance The results of this review indicate that little research has been done regarding lower-limb amputees accommodating to a new prosthesis. Improper accommodation could lead to increased variability in results, results that are not reflective of long-term use, and could cause clinicians to make inappropriate decisions regarding a prosthesis.
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25
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Dong D, Ge W, Liu S, Xia F, Sun Y. Design and optimization of a powered ankle-foot prosthesis using a geared five-bar spring mechanism. INT J ADV ROBOT SYST 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/1729881417704545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dianbiao Dong
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenjie Ge
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shumin Liu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Xia
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuanxi Sun
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China
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26
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Cunha RG, Da-Silva PJG, Dos Santos Couto Paz CC, da Silva Ferreira AC, Tierra-Criollo CJ. Influence of functional task-oriented mental practice on the gait of transtibial amputees: a randomized, clinical trial. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2017; 14:28. [PMID: 28399873 PMCID: PMC5387354 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-017-0238-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mental practice (MP) through motor imagery is a cognitive training strategy used to improve locomotor skills during rehabilitation programs. Recent works have used MP tasks to investigate the neurophysiology of human gait; however, its effect on functional performance has not been evaluated. In the present study, the influence of gait-oriented MP tasks on the rehabilitation process of gait in transtibial amputees was investigated by assessing the vertical (V), anterior-posterior (AP), and medio-lateral (ML) ground reaction forces (GRFs) and the time duration of the support phase of the prosthetic limb. Methods Unilateral transtibial amputees, who were capable of performing motor imagination tasks (MIQ-RS score ≥4), were randomly divided into two groups: Group A (n = 10), who performed functional gait-oriented MP combined with gait training, and Group B (n = 5), who performed non-motor task MP. The MP intervention was performed in the first-person perspective for 40 min, 3 times/week, for 4 weeks. The GRF outcome measures were recorded by a force platform to evaluate gait performance during 4 distinct stages: at baseline (BL), 1 month before the MP session; Pre-MP, 1–3 days before the MP session; Post-MP, 1–3 days after the MP session; and follow-up (FU), 1 month after MP session. The gait variables were compared inter- and intra-group by applying the Mann-Whitney and Friedman tests (alpha = 0.05). Results All volunteers exhibited a homogenous gait pattern prior to MP intervention, with no gait improvement during the BL and Pre-MP stages. Only Group A showed significant improvements in gait performance after the intervention, with enhanced impact absorption, as indicated by decreased first V and AP peaks; propulsion capacity, indicated by increasing second V and AP peaks; and balance control of the prosthetic limb, indicated by decreasing ML peaks and increasing duration of support. This gait pattern persisted until the FU stage. Conclusions MP combined with gait training allowed transtibial amputees to reestablish independent locomotion. Since the effects of MP were preserved after 1 month, the improvement is considered related to the specificity of the MP tasks. Therefore, MP may improve the clinical aspect of gait rehabilitation when included in a training program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Gontijo Cunha
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience-Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenue Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Engineering School, Center for Research and Education in Biomedical Engineering-Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Paulo José Guimarães Da-Silva
- Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Carolina da Silva Ferreira
- Biomechanics Laboratory of Federal University of Minas Gerais, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Carlos Julio Tierra-Criollo
- Engineering School, Center for Research and Education in Biomedical Engineering-Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil. .,Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Soares DP, de Castro MP, Mendes EA, Machado L. Principal component analysis in ground reaction forces and center of pressure gait waveforms of people with transfemoral amputation. Prosthet Orthot Int 2016; 40:729-738. [PMID: 26598512 DOI: 10.1177/0309364615612634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The alterations in gait pattern of people with transfemoral amputation leave them more susceptible to musculoskeletal injury. Principal component analysis is a method that reduces the amount of gait data and allows analyzing the entire waveform. OBJECTIVES To use the principal component analysis to compare the ground reaction force and center of pressure displacement waveforms obtained during gait between able-bodied subjects and both limbs of individuals with transfemoral amputation. STUDY DESIGN This is a transversal study with a convenience sample. METHODS We used a force plate and pressure plate to record the anterior-posterior, medial-lateral and vertical ground reaction force, and anterior-posterior and medial-lateral center of pressure positions of 12 participants with transfemoral amputation and 20 able-bodied subjects during gait. The principal component analysis was performed to compare the gait waveforms between the participants with transfemoral amputation and the able-bodied individuals. RESULTS The principal component analysis model explained between 74% and 93% of the data variance. In all ground reaction force and center of pressure waveforms relevant portions were identified; and always at least one principal component presented scores statistically different (p < 0.05) between the groups of participants in these relevant portions. CONCLUSION Principal component analysis was able to discriminate many portions of the stance phase between both lower limbs of people with transfemoral amputation compared to the able-bodied participants. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Principal component analysis reduced the amount of data, allowed analyzing the whole waveform, and identified specific sub-phases of gait that were different between the groups. Therefore, this approach seems to be a powerful tool to be used in gait evaluation and following the rehabilitation status of people with transfemoral amputation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Paschoal Soares
- Porto Biomechanics Laboratory and Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | | | - Leandro Machado
- Porto Biomechanics Laboratory and Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Russell Esposito E, Aldridge Whitehead JM, Wilken JM. Step-to-step transition work during level and inclined walking using passive and powered ankle-foot prostheses. Prosthet Orthot Int 2016; 40:311-9. [PMID: 25628378 DOI: 10.1177/0309364614564021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with leg amputations who use passive prostheses have greater metabolic demands than non-amputees likely due to limited net positive work compared to a biological ankle. New powered ankle-foot prostheses can perform net positive mechanical work to aid push-off capabilities, which may reduce metabolic demands. OBJECTIVES Compare step-to-step transition work and metabolic demand during level and inclined walking using passive and powered ankle-foot prostheses. STUDY DESIGN Repeated measures. METHODS Six individuals with transtibial amputation and six able-bodied controls walked at a standardized speed across level ground and up a 5° incline. Calculated measures included mechanical work during step-to-step transitions from the trailing prosthetic to leading intact limb, steady state metabolic rate, and ankle joint kinetics and kinematics. RESULTS The powered prosthesis generated 63% greater trailing limb step-to-step transition work than the passive during level walking only (p = 0.004). Metabolic rate was lower with the powered prosthesis during level (p = 0.006) but not inclined walking (p = 0.281). The powered prosthesis increased ankle power compared to the passive, to the extent that power was normalized to controls during inclined walking and greater than controls during level walking. CONCLUSION The powered prosthesis improved ankle power, metabolic rate, and step-to-step transition work on level ground, with few negative consequences on inclines. These results may be used to guide the development and use of actively powered prosthetic devices in high-functioning individuals. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Overall, powered devices offer biomechanical and metabolic benefits over passive energy storage and return designs on level ground and perform as well as a passive model on inclines. The lower metabolic demand when using the powered device may delay fatigue for individuals with transtibial amputation when walking over level ground.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason M Wilken
- Center for the Intrepid, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA
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Agrawal V, Gailey RS, Gaunaurd IA, O'Toole C, Finnieston A, Tolchin R. Comparison of four different categories of prosthetic feet during ramp ambulation in unilateral transtibial amputees. Prosthet Orthot Int 2015; 39:380-9. [PMID: 24925671 DOI: 10.1177/0309364614536762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comparative effectiveness of prosthetic feet during ramp ambulation in unilateral transtibial amputees, who function at different Medicare Functional Classification Levels, has not been published. OBJECTIVE To determine differences in symmetry in external work between four categories of prosthetic feet in K-Level-2 and K-Level-3 unilateral transtibial amputees during ramp ascent and descent. STUDY DESIGN Randomized repeated-measures trial. METHODS Ten subjects completed six testing sessions during which symmetry in external work was calculated using F-scan in-sole sensors. Between testing sessions 1 and 2, subjects received standardized functional prosthetic training. In Sessions 3-6, subjects tested four feet--solid ankle cushion heel, stationary attachment flexible endoskeleton, Talux (categories K1, K2, and K3, respectively), and Proprio-Foot (microprocessor ankle)--using a study socket and had a 10- to 14-day accommodation period with each foot. RESULTS During ramp descent, K-Level-2 subjects demonstrated higher symmetry in external work values with Talux and Proprio-Foot compared to the solid ankle cushion heel foot. K-Level-3 subjects also had higher symmetry in external work values with the Talux foot than the solid ankle cushion heel foot. Ramp ascent symmetry in external work values were not significantly different between feet. CONCLUSIONS Prosthetic foot category appears to influence symmetry in external work more during decline walking than incline walking. K-Level-2 unilateral transtibial amputees achieve greater symmetry from K3 dynamic response prosthetic feet with J-shaped ankle and microprocessor ankles while descending ramps. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The findings suggest that K-Level-2 unilateral transtibial amputees benefit from K3 dynamic response prosthetic feet with J-shaped ankle. These results support the prescription of K3 feet for K-Level-2 amputees who frequently negotiate ramps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhor Agrawal
- Department of Physical Therapy, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, USA Research Department, Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Miami, USA
| | - Robert S Gailey
- Department of Physical Therapy, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, USA Research Department, Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Miami, USA
| | - Ignacio A Gaunaurd
- Department of Physical Therapy, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, USA Research Department, Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Miami, USA
| | | | | | - Ronald Tolchin
- Baptist Hospital Neuroscience Center, Spine Center, Miami, USA
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The Conventional Non-Articulated SACH or a Multiaxial Prosthetic Foot for Hypomobile Transtibial Amputees? A Clinical Comparison on Mobility, Balance, and Quality of Life. ScientificWorldJournal 2015; 2015:261801. [PMID: 26078990 PMCID: PMC4442286 DOI: 10.1155/2015/261801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of a non-articulated SACH and a multiaxial foot-ankle mechanism on the performance of low-activity users are of great interest for practitioners in amputee rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to compare these two prosthetic feet and assess possible improvements introduced by the increased degrees of freedom provided by the multiaxial foot. For this purpose, a group of 20 hypomobile transtibial amputees (TTAs) had their usual SACH replaced with a multiaxial foot. Participants' functional mobility, involving ambulatory skills in overground level walking, ramps, and stairs, was evaluated by performing Six-Minute Walking Test (6 MWT), Locomotor Capability Index-5 (LCI-5), Hill Assessment Index (HAI), and Stair Assessment Index (SAI). Balance performances were assessed using Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and analysing upper body accelerations during gait. Moreover, the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ) was performed to indicate the prosthesis-related quality of life. Results showed that participants walked faster using the multiaxial foot (p < 0.05) maintaining the same upright gait stability. Significant improvements with the multiaxial foot were also observed in BBS, LCI-5, and SAI times and 4 of 9 subscales of the PEQ. Our findings demonstrate that a multiaxial foot represents a considerable alternative solution with respect to the conventional SACH in the prosthetic prescription for hypomobile TTAs.
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De Luigi AJ, Cooper RA. Adaptive sports technology and biomechanics: prosthetics. PM R 2015; 6:S40-57. [PMID: 25134752 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2014.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 05/31/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
With the technologic advances in medicine and an emphasis on maintaining physical fitness, the population of athletes with impairments is growing. It is incumbent upon health care practitioners to make every effort to inform these individuals of growing and diverse opportunities and to encourage safe exercise and athletic participation through counseling and education. Given the opportunities for participation in sports for persons with a limb deficiency, the demand for new, innovative prosthetic designs is challenging the clinical and technical expertise of the physician and prosthetist. When generating a prosthetic prescription, physicians and prosthetists should consider the needs and preferences of the athlete with limb deficiency, as well as the functional demands of the chosen sporting activity. The intent of this article is to provide information regarding the current advancements in the adaptive sports technology and biomechanics in the field of prosthetics, and to assist clinicians and their patients in facilitating participation in sporting activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Jason De Luigi
- Rehabilitation Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Georgetown University Hospital, 102 Irving St, NW, Washington, DC 20010∗.
| | - Rory A Cooper
- Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Pittsburgh, PA(†)
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Hill D, Herr H. Effects of a powered ankle-foot prosthesis on kinetic loading of the contralateral limb: a case series. IEEE Int Conf Rehabil Robot 2014; 2013:6650375. [PMID: 24187194 DOI: 10.1109/icorr.2013.6650375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Lower-extremity amputees encounter a series of stress-related challenges. Among them is an increased risk of chronic joint disorders. For unilateral, transtibial amputees, we hypothesize that increasing the power output of the trailing, ankle-foot prosthesis during powered plantar flexion could mitigate kinetic loading applied to the leading, contralateral leg during walking. Here, we present a case series that analyzes kinetic factors of unilateral, transtibial amputee gait and forms a comparison between two types of ankle prostheses with varying power outputs. The factors examined here are impact resultant force, peak foot pressure at heel-strike, step-to-step transition work, and knee external adduction moment. The two prostheses are the amputee participant's daily-use passive ankle-foot prosthesis and the BiOM powered ankle-foot prosthesis capable of biologically accurate powered plantar flexion during late stance. In a preliminary study on two transtibial amputees walking over level terrain at a controlled speed (1.25 m/s), we observed average reductions of 8% in peak impact resultant force, 18% in impact resultant force loading rate, 8% in peak heel-strike foot pressure, and 15% in the 1(st) peak knee external adduction moment when the powered ankle-foot prosthesis was compared to the conventional passive prosthesis. Overall, our preliminary results suggest that more biomimetic prosthetic ankle-foot push-off during late stance may limit leading-leg musculoskeletal stress in walking.
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Prosthetic ankle push-off work reduces metabolic rate but not collision work in non-amputee walking. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7213. [PMID: 25467389 PMCID: PMC4252906 DOI: 10.1038/srep07213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with unilateral below-knee amputation expend more energy than non-amputees during walking and exhibit reduced push-off work and increased hip work in the affected limb. Simple dynamic models of walking suggest a possible solution, predicting that increasing prosthetic ankle push-off should decrease leading limb collision, thereby reducing overall energy requirements. We conducted a rigorous experimental test of this idea wherein ankle-foot prosthesis push-off work was incrementally varied in isolation from one-half to two-times normal levels while subjects with simulated amputation walked on a treadmill at 1.25 m·s−1. Increased prosthesis push-off significantly reduced metabolic energy expenditure, with a 14% reduction at maximum prosthesis work. In contrast to model predictions, however, collision losses were unchanged, while hip work during swing initiation was decreased. This suggests that powered ankle push-off reduces walking effort primarily through other mechanisms, such as assisting leg swing, which would be better understood using more complete neuromuscular models.
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Raschke SU, Orendurff MS, Mattie JL, Kenyon DEA, Jones OY, Moe D, Winder L, Wong AS, Moreno-Hernández A, Highsmith MJ, J Sanderson D, Kobayashi T. Biomechanical characteristics, patient preference and activity level with different prosthetic feet: a randomized double blind trial with laboratory and community testing. J Biomech 2014; 48:146-52. [PMID: 25480541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Providing appropriate prosthetic feet to those with limb loss is a complex and subjective process influenced by professional judgment and payer guidelines. This study used a small load cell (Europa™) at the base of the socket to measure the sagittal moments during walking with three objective categories of prosthetic feet in eleven individuals with transtibial limb loss with MFCL K2, K3 and K4 functional levels. Forefoot stiffness and hysteresis characteristics defined the three foot categories: Stiff, Intermediate, and Compliant. Prosthetic feet were randomly assigned and blinded from participants and investigators. After laboratory testing, participants completed one week community wear tests followed by a modified prosthetics evaluation questionnaire to determine if a specific category of prosthetic feet was preferred. The Compliant category of prosthetic feet was preferred by the participants (P=0.025) over the Stiff and Intermediate prosthetic feet, and the Compliant and Intermediate feet had 15% lower maximum sagittal moments during walking in the laboratory (P=0.0011) compared to the Stiff feet. The activity level of the participants did not change significantly with any of the wear tests in the community, suggesting that each foot was evaluated over a similar number of steps, but did not inherently increase activity. This is the first randomized double blind study in which prosthetic users have expressed a preference for a specific biomechanical characteristic of prosthetic feet: those with lower peak sagittal moments were preferred, and specifically preferred on slopes, stairs, uneven terrain, and during turns and maneuvering during real world use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia U Raschke
- Biomechanics Laboratory, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, Canada
| | | | - Johanne L Mattie
- Biomechanics Laboratory, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, Canada
| | - David E A Kenyon
- Biomechanics Laboratory, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, Canada
| | - O Yvette Jones
- Biomechanics Laboratory, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, Canada
| | - David Moe
- Barber Prosthetics, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Angie S Wong
- Biomechanics Laboratory, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Ana Moreno-Hernández
- Biomechanics Laboratory, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, Canada; School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Laboratorio de Análisis de Movimiento, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, México D.F., México
| | - M Jason Highsmith
- University of South Florida, College of Medicine, School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - David J Sanderson
- Biomechanics Laboratory, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, Canada; School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Toshiki Kobayashi
- Biomechanics Laboratory, Orthocare Innovations, Mountlake Terrace, WA, USA
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Stepping asymmetry among individuals with unilateral transtibial limb loss might be functional in terms of gait stability. Phys Ther 2014; 94:1480-8. [PMID: 24903115 DOI: 10.2522/ptj.20130431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The asymmetry in step length in prosthetic gait is often seen as a detrimental effect of the impairment; however, this asymmetry also might be a functional compensation. An advantage of a smaller step length of the nonprosthetic leg, and specifically foot forward placement (FFP), might be that it will bring the center of mass closer to the base of support of the leading foot and thus increase the backward margin of stability (BW MoS). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to characterize differences in step length, FFP, and the concomitant difference in BW MoS between steps of the prosthetic and nonprosthetic legs (referred to as prosthetic and nonprosthetic steps, respectively) of people after transtibial amputation. DESIGN This was an observational and cross-sectional study. METHODS Ten people after transtibial amputation walked for 4 minutes on a self-paced treadmill. Step length and FFP were calculated at initial contact. The size of the BW MoS was calculated for the moment of initial contact and at the end of the double-support phase of gait. RESULTS Step length (5.4%) and FFP (7.9%) were shorter for the nonprosthetic step than for the prosthetic step. The BW MoS at initial contact was larger for the nonprosthetic step, but because of a significant leg × gait event interaction effect, BW MoS did not differ significantly at the end of the double-support phase. LIMITATIONS All participants were relatively good walkers (score of E on the Special Interest Group in Amputee Medicine [SIGAM] scale). CONCLUSIONS The smaller step length and FFP of the nonprosthetic step help to create a larger BW MoS at initial contact for the nonprosthetic step compared with the prosthetic step. Hence, step length asymmetry in people after transtibial amputation might be seen as a functional compensation to preserve BW MoS during the double-support phase to cope with the limited push-off power of the prosthetic ankle.
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Gaitography applied to prosthetic walking. Med Biol Eng Comput 2014; 52:963-969. [PMID: 25249276 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-014-1195-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
During walking on an instrumented treadmill with an embedded force platform or grid of pressure sensors, center-of-pressure (COP) trajectories exhibit a characteristic butterfly-like shape, reflecting the medio-lateral and anterior-posterior weight shifts associated with alternating steps. We define "gaitography" as the analysis of such COP trajectories during walking (the "gaitograms"). It is currently unknown, however, if gaitography can be employed to characterize pathological gait, such as lateralized gait impairments. We therefore registered gaitograms for a heterogeneous sample of persons with a trans-femoral and trans-tibial amputation during treadmill walking at a self-selected comfortable speed. We found that gaitograms directly visualize between-person differences in prosthetic gait in terms of step width and the relative duration of prosthetic and non-prosthetic single-support stance phases. We further demonstrated that one should not only focus on the gaitogram's shape but also on the time evolution along that shape, given that the COP evolves much slower in the single-support phase than in the double-support phase. Finally, commonly used temporal and spatial prosthetic gait characteristics were derived, revealing both individual and systematic differences in prosthetic and non-prosthetic step lengths, step times, swing times, and double-support durations. Because gaitograms can be rapidly collected in an unobtrusive and markerless manner over multiple gait cycles without constraining foot placement, clinical application of gaitography seems both expedient and appealing. Studies examining the repeatability of gaitograms and evaluating gaitography-based gait characteristics against a gold standard with known validity and reliability are required before gaitography can be clinically applied.
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Eshraghi A, Abu Osman NA, Karimi M, Gholizadeh H, Soodmand E, Abas WABW. Gait biomechanics of individuals with transtibial amputation: effect of suspension system. PLoS One 2014; 9:e96988. [PMID: 24865351 PMCID: PMC4035274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prosthetic suspension system is an important component of lower limb prostheses. Suspension efficiency can be best evaluated during one of the vital activities of daily living, i.e. walking. A new magnetic prosthetic suspension system has been developed, but its effects on gait biomechanics have not been studied. This study aimed to explore the effect of suspension type on kinetic and kinematic gait parameters during level walking with the new suspension system as well as two other commonly used systems (the Seal-In and pin/lock). Thirteen persons with transtibial amputation participated in this study. A Vicon motion system (six cameras, two force platforms) was utilized to obtain gait kinetic and kinematic variables, as well as pistoning within the prosthetic socket. The gait deviation index was also calculated based on the kinematic data. The findings indicated significant difference in the pistoning values among the three suspension systems. The Seal-In system resulted in the least pistoning compared with the other two systems. Several kinetic and kinematic variables were also affected by the suspension type. The ground reaction force data showed that lower load was applied to the limb joints with the magnetic suspension system compared with the pin/lock suspension. The gait deviation index showed significant deviation from the normal with all the systems, but the systems did not differ significantly. Main significant effects of the suspension type were seen in the GRF (vertical and fore-aft), knee and ankle angles. The new magnetic suspension system showed comparable effects in the remaining kinetic and kinematic gait parameters to the other studied systems. This study may have implications on the selection of suspension systems for transtibial prostheses. Trial Registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT2013061813706N1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arezoo Eshraghi
- Prosthetist & Orthotist, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- * E-mail:
| | - Noor Azuan Abu Osman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Karimi
- Department of Orthotics & Prosthetics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Gholizadeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Ehsan Soodmand
- Department of Human Locomotion, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Wan Abu Bakar Wan Abas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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The effects of suction and pin/lock suspension systems on transtibial amputees' gait performance. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94520. [PMID: 24827560 PMCID: PMC4021017 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The suction sockets that are commonly prescribed for transtibial amputees are believed to provide a better suspension than the pin/lock systems. Nevertheless, their effect on amputees’ gait performance has not yet been fully investigated. The main intention of this study was to understand the potential effects of the Seal-in (suction) and the Dermo (pin/lock) suspension systems on amputees’ gait performance. Methodology/Principal Findings Ten unilateral transtibial amputees participated in this prospective study, and two prostheses were fabricated for each of them. A three-dimensional motion analysis system was used to evaluate the temporal-spatial, kinematics and kinetics variables during normal walking. We also asked the participants to complete some part of Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ) regarding their satisfaction and problems with both systems. The results revealed that there was more symmetry in temporal-spatial parameters between the prosthetic and sound limbs using the suction system. However, the difference between two systems was not significant (p<0.05). Evaluation of kinetic data and the subjects’ feedback showed that the participants had more confidence using the suction socket and the sockets were more fit for walking. Nevertheless, the participants had more complaints with this system due to the difficulty in donning and doffing. Conclusion It can be concluded that even though the suction socket could create better suspension, fit, and gait performance, overall satisfaction was higher with the pin/lock system due to easy donning and doffing of the prosthesis. Trial Registration irct.ir IRCT2014012816395N1
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The effects of prosthetic foot type and visual alteration on postural steadiness in below-knee amputees. Biomed Eng Online 2014; 13:23. [PMID: 24597518 PMCID: PMC3975715 DOI: 10.1186/1475-925x-13-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Achieving independent upright posture has known to be one of the main goals in rehabilitation following lower limb amputation. The purpose of this study was to compare postural steadiness of below knee amputees with visual alterations while wearing three different prosthetic feet. Methods Ten male below-knee amputees were instructed to stand quietly on the Biodex® balance platform while wearing solid ankle cushion heel (SACH), single axis (SA) and energy storage and release (ESAR) prosthetic foot under different visual input conditions (eyes-opened and eyes-closed). The overall stability index (OSI), anterior- posterior stability index (APSI), and medial-lateral stability index (MLSI) were computed. Perceived balance assessment of each foot was evaluated using Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) score. Results The findings highlights that SACH showed lowest overall stability index (indicating less body sway) during eyes-opened (OSI: SACH = 1.09, SA = 1.58, ESAR = 1.59) and SA showed lowest overall stability index during eyes-closed (OSI: SACH = 2.52, SA = 2.30, ESAR = 2.76) condition. However, overall stability indexes between foot types did not differ significantly during eyes-opened or eyes-closed (p = 0.651). There was a trend of instability which occurred more in medial-lateral compared to anterior-posterior direction for all foot types, with significant result in ESAR foot(eyes-opened: MLSI = 1.59, APSI = 0.65, p = 0.034; eyes-closed: MLSI = 2.76, APSI = 1.80, p = 0.017, respectively). When comparing between visual conditions, stability score was significantly higher during eyes-closed compared to eyes-opened situations for SACH and ESAR foot (eyes-closed vs opened; SACH OSI: 3.43 vs 1.71, p = 0.018 and MLSI: 3.43 vs 1.71, p = 0.018; ESAR OSI: 3.58 vs 1.86, p = 0.043 and APSI: 1.80 vs 0.65, p = 0.027). Conclusions The results of this study suggested postural steadiness in below-knee amputees was not affected by the types of prosthetic foot during quiet upright standing, but was significantly affected when visual cues was absent.
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Agrawal V, Gailey R, O'Toole C, Gaunaurd I, Finnieston A. Influence of gait training and prosthetic foot category on external work symmetry during unilateral transtibial amputee gait. Prosthet Orthot Int 2013; 37:396-403. [PMID: 23364890 DOI: 10.1177/0309364612473501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prosthetic foot prescription guidelines lack scientific evidence and are concurrent with an amputee's concurrent with an amputee's Medicare Functional Classification Level (K-Level) and categorization of prosthetic feet. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the influence of gait training and four categories of prosthetic feet (K1, K2, K3, and microprocessor ankle/foot) on Symmetry in External Work for K-Level-2 and K-Level-3 unilateral transtibial amputees. DESIGN Randomized repeated-measures trial. METHODS Five K-Level-2 and five K-Level-3 subjects were tested in their existing prosthesis during Session 1 and again in Session 2, following 2 weeks of standardized gait training. In Sessions 3-6, subjects were tested using a study socket and one of four randomized test feet. There was an accommodation period of 10-14 days with each foot. Symmetry in External Work for positive and negative work was calculated at each session to determine symmetry of gait dynamics between limbs at self-selected walking speeds. RESULTS K-Level-2 subjects had significantly higher negative work symmetry with the K3 foot, compared to K1/K2 feet. For both subject groups, gait training had a greater impact on positive work symmetry than test feet. CONCLUSION Higher work symmetry is possible for K-Level-2 amputees who are trained to take advantage of K3 prosthetic feet designs. There exists a need for an objective determinant for categorizing and prescribing prosthetic feet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhor Agrawal
- Department of Physical Therapy, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
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Grabowski AM, D’Andrea S. Effects of a powered ankle-foot prosthesis on kinetic loading of the unaffected leg during level-ground walking. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2013; 10:49. [PMID: 23758860 PMCID: PMC3685554 DOI: 10.1186/1743-0003-10-49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with a lower-extremity amputation that use conventional passive-elastic ankle-foot prostheses encounter a series of stress-related challenges during walking such as greater forces on their unaffected leg, and may thus be predisposed to secondary musculoskeletal injuries such as chronic joint disorders. Specifically, people with a unilateral transtibial amputation have an increased susceptibility to knee osteoarthritis, especially in their unaffected leg. Previous studies have hypothesized that the development of this disorder is linked to the abnormally high peak knee external adduction moments encountered during walking. An ankle-foot prosthesis that supplies biomimetic power could potentially mitigate the forces and knee adduction moments applied to the unaffected leg of a person with a transtibial amputation, which could, in turn, reduce the risk of knee osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that compared to using a passive-elastic prosthesis, people with a transtibial amputation using a powered ankle-foot prosthesis would have lower peak resultant ground reaction forces, peak external knee adduction moments, and corresponding loading rates applied to their unaffected leg during walking over a wide range of speeds. METHODS We analyzed ground reaction forces and knee joint kinetics of the unaffected leg of seven participants with a unilateral transtibial amputation and seven age-, height- and weight-matched non-amputees during level-ground walking at 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, and 1.75 m/s. Subjects with an amputation walked while using their own passive-elastic prosthesis and a powered ankle-foot prosthesis capable of providing net positive mechanical work and powered ankle plantar flexion during late stance. RESULTS Use of the powered prosthesis significantly decreased unaffected leg peak resultant forces by 2-11% at 0.75-1.50 m/s, and first peak knee external adduction moments by 21 and 12% at 1.50 and 1.75 m/s, respectively. Loading rates were not significantly different between prosthetic feet. CONCLUSIONS Use of a biomimetic powered ankle-foot prosthesis decreased peak resultant force at slow and moderate speeds and knee external adduction moment at moderate and fast speeds on the unaffected leg of people with a transtibial amputation during level-ground walking. Thus, use of an ankle-foot prosthesis that provides net positive mechanical work could reduce the risk of comorbidities such as knee osteoarthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena M Grabowski
- Integrative Physiology Department, University of Colorado Boulder, 354 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0354, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Eastern Colorado Healthcare System, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Susan D’Andrea
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
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Attenuation of centre-of-pressure trajectory fluctuations under the prosthetic foot when using an articulating hydraulic ankle attachment compared to fixed attachment. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2013; 28:218-24. [PMID: 23261018 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2012.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2012] [Revised: 11/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/26/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disruptions to the progress of the centre-of-pressure trajectory beneath prosthetic feet have been reported previously. These disruptions reflect how body weight is transferred over the prosthetic limb and are governed by the compliance of the prosthetic foot device and its ability to simulate ankle function. This study investigated whether using an articulating hydraulic ankle attachment attenuates centre-of-pressure trajectory fluctuations under the prosthetic foot compared to a fixed attachment. METHODS Twenty active unilateral trans-tibial amputees completed walking trials at their freely-selected, comfortable walking speed using both their habitual foot with either a rigid or elastic articulating attachment and a foot with a hydraulic ankle attachment. Centre-of-pressure displacement and velocity fluctuations beneath the prosthetic foot, prosthetic shank angular velocity during stance, and walking speed were compared between foot conditions. FINDINGS Use of the hydraulic device eliminated or reduced the magnitude of posteriorly directed centre-of-pressure displacements, reduced centre-of-pressure velocity variability across single-support, increased mean forward angular velocity of the shank during early stance, and increased freely chosen comfortable walking speed (P ≤ 0.002). INTERPRETATION The attenuation of centre-of-pressure trajectory fluctuations when using the hydraulic device indicated bodyweight was transferred onto the prosthetic limb in a smoother, less faltering manner which allowed the centre of mass to translate more quickly over the foot.
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Svoboda Z, Janura M, Cabell L, Elfmark M. Variability of kinetic variables during gait in unilateral transtibial amputees. Prosthet Orthot Int 2012; 36:225-30. [PMID: 22440580 DOI: 10.1177/0309364612439572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prosthetic gait increases demands on stability. Some variability measures can be used to investigate the stability of movement for prosthetic feet. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the prosthetic foot on ground reaction force variability for transtibial amputee gait. STUDY DESIGN Comparative analysis. METHODS Eleven male unilateral transtibial amputees participated in this study. Each subject walked at self-selected speed with both conventional (SACH) and energy storing (Sureflex) feet. Time and ground reaction force variables and their coefficients of variation were calculated for each foot type and limb. RESULTS Mediolateral force variables had high variability for all conditions. The Sureflex had a larger variability than the SACH foot for the braking peak (p < 0.05), which may have been caused by gait instability after the heel strike. There were significant differences between intact and prosthetic limbs in total loading (force impulses) with the SACH foot (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The prosthetic foot and alignment issues related to the foot influence GRF variability. During the braking phase the SACH foot is characterized by higher variability in mediolateral direction and Sureflex by higher variability in anterior-posterior direction. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Differences in variability in ground reaction force variables can represent a person's stability. Observing variability can contribute to better understanding of critical events in gait cycle with the use of various prosthetic feet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdenek Svoboda
- Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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Roerdink M, Roeles S, van der Pas SCH, Bosboom O, Beek PJ. Evaluating asymmetry in prosthetic gait with step-length asymmetry alone is flawed. Gait Posture 2012; 35:446-51. [PMID: 22153771 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2011] [Revised: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 11/03/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Prosthetic gait is often asymmetric in step length, but the direction of this asymmetry varies inconsistently across amputees. This situation is akin to that seen in stroke patients, where step-length asymmetry has been shown to be the additive result of asymmetries in trunk progression and asymmetries in forward foot placement relative to the trunk. The present study examined the validity of this notion in three trans-tibial and seven trans-femoral amputees wearing a unilateral prosthesis while walking over a walkway at a comfortable and slower-than-comfortable speed. The latter manipulation was added to examine the expectation that the magnitude of the trunk-progression asymmetry - attributable to a weaker propulsion generating capacity on the prosthetic side - would be smaller when walking slower because of the diminished propulsion demands. Step length, forward foot placement relative to the trunk, and trunk progression of prosthetic and non-prosthetic steps, as well as asymmetries therein, were quantified. The direction of step-length and forward foot placement asymmetries varied inconsistently across (but consistently within) participants. As expected, step-length asymmetry depended on the combination of asymmetries in forward foot placement and trunk progression, with a smaller contribution of trunk-progression asymmetry at slow speed. These results extend our previous finding for hemiplegic patients that an analysis of gait asymmetry in terms of step length alone is flawed to prosthetic gait, implying that knowledge of asymmetries in trunk progression and forward foot placement relative to the trunk is required to help elucidate the contribution of underlying impairments (viz. propulsion generating capacity) and adopted compensations on prosthetic gait asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melvyn Roerdink
- Research Institute MOVE, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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van Keeken HG, Vrieling AH, Hof AL, Postema K, Otten B. Stabilizing moments of force on a prosthetic knee during stance in the first steps after gait initiation. Med Eng Phys 2011; 34:733-9. [PMID: 21996358 DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2011.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Revised: 09/14/2011] [Accepted: 09/17/2011] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the occurrences of stabilizing and destabilizing external moments of force on a prosthetic knee during stance, in the first steps after gait initiation, in inexperienced users were investigated. Primary aim was to identify the differences in the external moments during gait initiation with the sound leg leading and the prosthetic leg leading. A prosthetic leg simulator device, with a flexible knee, was used to test able-bodied subject, with no walking aid experience. Inverse dynamics calculations were preformed to calculate the external moments. The subjects learned to control the prosthetic leg within 100 steps, without walking aids, evoking similar patterns of external moments of force during the steps after the gait initiation, either with their sound leg loading or prosthetic leg leading. Critical phases in which a sudden flexion of the knee can occur were found just after heelstrike and just before toe off, in which the external moment of force was close to the internal moment produced by a knee extension aiding spring in the opposite direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helco G van Keeken
- Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Herr HM, Grabowski AM. Bionic ankle-foot prosthesis normalizes walking gait for persons with leg amputation. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:457-64. [PMID: 21752817 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Over time, leg prostheses have improved in design, but have been incapable of actively adapting to different walking velocities in a manner comparable to a biological limb. People with a leg amputation using such commercially available passive-elastic prostheses require significantly more metabolic energy to walk at the same velocities, prefer to walk slower and have abnormal biomechanics compared with non-amputees. A bionic prosthesis has been developed that emulates the function of a biological ankle during level-ground walking, specifically providing the net positive work required for a range of walking velocities. We compared metabolic energy costs, preferred velocities and biomechanical patterns of seven people with a unilateral transtibial amputation using the bionic prosthesis and using their own passive-elastic prosthesis to those of seven non-amputees during level-ground walking. Compared with using a passive-elastic prosthesis, using the bionic prosthesis decreased metabolic cost by 8 per cent, increased trailing prosthetic leg mechanical work by 57 per cent and decreased the leading biological leg mechanical work by 10 per cent, on average, across walking velocities of 0.75-1.75 m s(-1) and increased preferred walking velocity by 23 per cent. Using the bionic prosthesis resulted in metabolic energy costs, preferred walking velocities and biomechanical patterns that were not significantly different from people without an amputation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh M Herr
- Biomechatronics Group, Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 75 Amherst Street E14-348U, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Agrawal V, Gailey R, Gaunaurd I, Gailey R, O'Toole C. Weight distribution symmetry during the sit-to-stand movement of unilateral transtibial amputees. ERGONOMICS 2011; 54:656-664. [PMID: 21770752 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2011.586060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
This study characterises weight distribution symmetry between the intact and amputated limbs of unilateral transtibial amputees during a sit-to-stand movement. A total of 12 amputees and 12 age-matched, non-amputees performed the activity for two conditions - rising with and without chair arm-rest assistance. The sit-to-stand movement was divided into five events: Pre-Ascent; Ascent Initiation; Seat-Off; Deceleration; Standing. Symmetry in ground reaction forces between limbs was calculated at each event together with the rise time. Results indicate that during the course of the movement, amputees increased loading of the intact limb by approximately 27%, resulting in a significant asymmetry at seat-off and deceleration events. Non-amputees loaded the dominant limb more than the non-dominant limb throughout the activity but did not exhibit substantial weight shifts. Weight distribution symmetry was not significantly different between the two rising conditions in either population. Amputees had significantly longer rise times than non-amputees only while rising without arm-rest assistance. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Sit-to-stand movements are performed frequently every day. Incorrect movement biomechanics caused by musculoskeletal impairments can lead to reduced functional independence and secondary co-morbidities. This study defines five events of a sit-to-stand cycle and is the first to address asymmetries of transtibial amputees, providing ergonomic insights for clinical assessment and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhor Agrawal
- Functional Outcomes Research & Evaluation Center (FORE Center), Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.
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Meijer R, Plotnik M, Zwaaftink EG, van Lummel RC, Ainsworth E, Martina JD, Hausdorff JM. Markedly impaired bilateral coordination of gait in post-stroke patients: Is this deficit distinct from asymmetry? A cohort study. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2011; 8:23. [PMID: 21545703 PMCID: PMC3111353 DOI: 10.1186/1743-0003-8-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2010] [Accepted: 05/05/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Multiple aspects of gait are typically impaired post-stroke. Asymmetric gait is common as a consequence of unilateral brain lesions. The relationship between the resulting asymmetric gait and impairments in the ability to properly coordinate the reciprocal stepping activation of the legs is not clear. The objective of this exploratory study is to quantify the effects of hemiparesis on two putatively independent aspects of the bilateral coordination of gait to gain insight into mechanisms and their relationship and to assess their potential as clinical markers. Methods Twelve ambulatory stroke patients and age-matched healthy adults wore a tri-axial piezo-resistive accelerometer and walked back and forth along a straight path in a hall at a comfortable walking speed during 2 minutes. Gait speed, gait asymmetry (GA), and aspects of the bilateral coordination of gait (BCG) were determined. Bilateral coordination measures included the left-right stepping phase for each stride φi, consistency in the phase generation φ_CV, accuracy in the phase generation φ_ABS, and Phase Coordination Index (PCI), a combination of accuracy and consistency of the phase generation. Results Group differences (p < 0.001) were observed for gait speed (1.1 ± 0.1 versus 1.7 ± 0.1 m/sec for patients and controls, respectively), GA (26.3 ± 5.6 versus 5.5 ± 1.2, correspondingly) and PCI (19.5 ± 2.3 versus 6.2 ± 1.0, correspondingly). A significant correlation between GA and PCI was seen in the stroke patients (r = 0.94; p < 0.001), but not in the controls. Conclusions In ambulatory post-stroke patients, two gait coordination properties, GA and PCI, are markedly impaired. Although these features are not related to each other in healthy controls, they are strongly related in stroke patients, which is a novel finding. A measurement approach based on body-fixed sensors apparently may provide sensitive markers that can be used for clinical assessment and for enhancing rehabilitation targeting in post-stroke patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Meijer
- Rehabilitation Medical Centre Groot Klimmendaal, Department of Innovation, Research & Education, Room K009, PO Box 9044, 6800 GG Arnhem, Netherlands.
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Sagawa Y, Turcot K, Armand S, Thevenon A, Vuillerme N, Watelain E. Biomechanics and physiological parameters during gait in lower-limb amputees: a systematic review. Gait Posture 2011; 33:511-26. [PMID: 21392998 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2010] [Revised: 02/03/2011] [Accepted: 02/06/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this systematic review was to identify which biomechanical and physiological parameters are the most relevant, commonly used, able to discriminate and/or have specific clinical relevance for the gait analysis of lower-limb amputees (LLA). METHODS We performed an electronic search via the PubMed, EMBASE and ISI Web of Knowledge databases from 1979 to May 2009. Two independent reviewers assessed the title and abstract of each identified study. The quality assessment of the full text was undertaken using a 13-item checklist divided into three levels: A, B, and C. RESULTS The literature search identified 584 abstracts to be considered. After applying the inclusion criteria, we reviewed the full text of a total of 89 articles. The mean article quality was 8±2. No A-level article was found; the primary reason was a negative score in blinded outcome assessment. Sixty-six articles (74%) corresponded to a B-level, and two articles (2%) corresponded to a C-level. Twenty-one articles (24%) did not acquire enough points to be assigned to any level. In this study, we present and discuss the most commonly used and most relevant 32 parameters. Many of the parameters found were not reported in enough studies or in enough detail to allow a useful evaluation. CONCLUSION This systematic review can help researchers compare, choose and develop the most appropriate gait evaluation protocol for their field of study, based on the articles with best scores on the criteria list and the relevance of specific biomechanical and physiological parameters.
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Ventura JD, Klute GK, Neptune RR. The effects of prosthetic ankle dorsiflexion and energy return on below-knee amputee leg loading. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2011; 26:298-303. [PMID: 21093131 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2010.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2010] [Revised: 10/15/2010] [Accepted: 10/20/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prosthetic devices are intended to return lower limb amputees to their pre-amputation functional status. However, prosthetic devices designed for unilateral below-knee amputees have yet to completely restore the biomechanical functions normally provided by the ankle muscles, leading to gait asymmetries and increased reliance on their intact leg. In an effort to improve amputee gait, energy storage and return feet have been developed that store mechanical energy in elastic structures in early to mid-stance and return it in late stance. However, little is known regarding how ankle compliance and the level of energy return influences walking mechanics. The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of prosthetic ankle dorsiflexion and energy storage and return on leg loading during steady-state walking. METHODS Compliant ankles with different stiffness levels were attached to a Seattle Lightfoot2 in different orientations (forward- and reverse-facing). FINDINGS The ankles decreased residual leg vertical ground reaction forces in late stance, increased residual leg propulsive ground reaction force impulses and increased residual leg knee joint extensor moments. The reverse-facing ankles increased residual leg vertical ground reaction forces in early stance, and the compliant forward-facing ankle increased residual leg braking impulses. In contrast to previous studies, increased energy storage and return from compliant ankles did not decrease hip joint powers or the intact leg vertical ground reaction forces. INTERPRETATION These results provide insight into the relationships between ankle dorsiflexion, energy storage and return, and leg loading, which may lead to more effective prosthetic devices to improve amputee gait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D Ventura
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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