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Miller RH, Bell EM, Russell Esposito E. Transfemoral limb loss modestly increases the metabolic cost of optimal control simulations of walking. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16756. [PMID: 38223753 PMCID: PMC10785795 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In transtibial limb loss, computer simulations suggest that the maintenance of muscle strength between pre- and post-limb loss can maintain the pre-limb loss metabolic cost. These results are consistent with comparable costs found experimentally in select cases of high functioning military service members with transtibial limb loss. It is unlikely that similar results would be found with transfemoral limb loss, although the theoretical limits are not known. Here we performed optimal control simulations of walking with and without an above-knee prosthesis to determine if transfemoral limb loss per se increases the metabolic cost of walking. Methods OpenSim Moco was used to generate optimal control simulations of walking in 15 virtual "subjects" that minimized the weighted sum of (i) deviations from average able-bodied gait mechanics and (ii) the gross metabolic cost of walking, pre-limb loss in models with two intact biological limbs, and post-limb loss with one of the limbs replaced by a prosthetic knee and foot. No other changes were made to the model. Metabolic cost was compared between pre- and post-limb loss simulations in paired t-tests. Results Metabolic cost post-limb loss increased by 0.7-9.3% (p < 0.01) depending on whether cost was scaled by total body mass or biological body mass and on whether the prosthetic knee was passive or non-passive. Conclusions Given that the post-limb loss model had numerous features that predisposed it to low metabolic cost, these results suggest transfemoral limb loss per se increases the metabolic cost of walking. However, the large differences above able-bodied peers of ∼20-45% in most gait analysis experiments may be avoidable, even when minimizing deviations from able-bodied gait mechanics. Portions of this text were previously published as part of a preprint (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.26.546515v2.full.pdf).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross H. Miller
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, MD, United States of America
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth M. Bell
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, MD, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, Towson University, Towson, MD, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Russell Esposito
- Military Operational Medicine Research Program, Fort Detrick, MD, United States of America
- Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, Fort Sam Houston, TX, United States of America
- Center for Limb Loss and Mobility, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, United States of America
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
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Hu M, He Y, Hisano G, Hobara H, Kobayashi T. Coordination of Lower Limb During Gait in Individuals With Unilateral Transfemoral Amputation. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2023; 31:3835-3843. [PMID: 37721878 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2023.3316749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the lower-limb coordination of individuals with unilateral transfemoral amputation (uTFA) while walking is essential to understand their gait mechanisms. Continuous relative phase (CRP) analysis provides insights into gait coordination patterns of the neuromusculoskeletal system based on movement kinematics. Fourteen individuals with uTFA and their age-matched non-disabled individuals participated in this study. Kinematic data of the lower limbs of the participants were collected during walking. The joint angles, segment angles, and CRP values of the thigh-shank and shank-foot couplings were investigated. The curves among the lower limbs of the participants were compared using a statistical parametric mapping test. Compensatory strategies were found in the lower limbs from coordination patterns. In thigh-shank coupling, although distinct coordination traits in stance and swing phases among the lower limbs were found, the lower limbs in both groups were discovered to remain in a similar coordination pattern during gait. For individuals with uTFA, in shank-foot coupling, intact limbs demonstrated a short period of foot-leading pattern which was significantly different from that of the other limbs during mid-stance to compensate for the weaker force generation by prosthetic limbs. The findings offer normative coordination patterns on the walking of individuals with uTFA, which could benefit prosthetic gait rehabilitation and development.
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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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Effects of Walking Speed and Prosthetic Knee Control Type on External Mechanical Work in Transfemoral Prosthesis Users. J Biomech 2022; 134:110984. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.110984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Kobayashi T, Hu M, Amma R, Hisano G, Murata H, Ichimura D, Hobara H. Effects of walking speed on magnitude and symmetry of ground reaction forces in individuals with transfemoral prosthesis. J Biomech 2021; 130:110845. [PMID: 34749160 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with unilateral transfemoral amputation (uTFA) walk asymmetrically. Investigating gait symmetry in ground reaction force (GRF) is critical because asymmetric loading on the residual limb can result in injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the GRF of individuals with uTFA by systematically controlling their walking at eight speeds(2.0-5.5 km/h with increments of 0.5 km/h) on a treadmill. Forty-eight individuals participated in this study, which included 24 individuals with uTFA (K3 and K4) and 24 individuals without amputation. GRFs (anteroposterior, mediolateral, and vertical) of the prosthetic and intact limb steps were collected for the individuals with uTFA and those of the right limb were collected for the control group. Peak force values of the GRF components, temporal parameters, impulses, and their asymmetry ratios were investigated and statistically analyzed. With an increasing walking speed, the magnitude of GRF changed gradually; individuals with uTFA exhibited increased GRF asymmetry in the vertical and mediolateral components, while that of the anteroposterior component remained constant. uTFA individuals typically maintained a constant asymmetry ratio in the mediolateral and anteroposterior (braking and propulsive) GRF impulses across a wide range of walking speeds. This result suggests that individuals with uTFA may cope with various walking speeds by maintaining symmetric mediolateral and anteroposterior impulses. The data provided in this study can serve as normative data for the GRF and its symmetry across a range of walking speeds in individuals with uTFA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiki Kobayashi
- 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
| | - Ryo Amma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan; Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Genki Hisano
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Systems and Control Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan; Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan
| | - Hiroto Murata
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan; Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ichimura
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Hobara
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
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Inter-limb weight transfer strategy during walking after unilateral transfemoral amputation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4793. [PMID: 33637849 PMCID: PMC7910552 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84357-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Although weight transfer is an important component of gait rehabilitation, the biomechanical strategy underlying the vertical ground reaction force loading/unloading in individuals with unilateral transfemoral amputation between intact and prosthetic limbs remains unclear. We investigated weight transfer between limbs at different walking speeds in 15 individuals with unilateral transfemoral amputation and 15 individuals without amputation as controls, who walked on an instrumented treadmill. The normalized unloading and loading rates were calculated as the slope of decay and rise phase of the vertical ground reaction force, respectively. We performed linear regression analyses for trailing limb's unloading rate and leading limb's loading rate between the prosthetic, intact, and control limbs. While loading rate increased with walking speed in all three limbs, the greatest increase was observed in the intact limb. In contrast to the other limbs, the prosthetic limb unloading rate was relatively insensitive to speed changes. Consequently, the regression line between trailing prosthetic and leading intact limbs deviated from other relationships. These results suggest that weight transfer is varied whether the leading or trailing limb is the prosthetic or intact side, and the loading rate of the leading limb is partially affected by the unloading rate of the contralateral trailing limb.
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