Effect of prosthetic design on center of pressure excursion in partial foot prostheses

Abstract

Abstract-Investigations into the gait of persons with partial foot amputation (PFA) suggest that the effective foot length can be restored when the prosthesis incorporates a relatively stiff forefoot, restricts dorsiflexion, and includes a mechanism whereby forces caused by loading the toe lever can be comfortably distributed to the leg (e.g., an anterior tibial shell). The purpose of this investigation was to systematically alter these variables to understand which design elements are responsible for restoration of the effective foot length. By manipulating features of the prosthesis design in two persons with PFA, we demonstrated using three-dimensional motion analysis that the prosthesis must incorporate each of these design elements to restore the effective foot length. When these design elements were used in concert, the persons with PFA adopted a gait pattern more consistent with nondisabled persons. Further work is required on a larger cohort to ensure the observations are generalizable.

Biomechanical analysis of stair ascent in persons with Chopart amputation

“…Subjects with partial foot amputation examined in previous work did not demonstrate a hip abductor weakness either. 34 Consequently, this mechanism seems to have a different origin. Potentially, this trunk movement is compensatory to stabilize the hip in the frontal plane due to a missing prosthetic subtalar joint which would facilitate foot inversion and eversion.…”

Methods for Kinematic Analysis of Human Movement in Military Applications: A Review of Current and Prospective Methods

“…These are necessary for the development of new prostheses designed for war veterans or for the design of special implants needed after injuries identified throughout the rehabilitation process [63]. Evaluation of the values of angles in particular gait phases can also be observed during the rehabilitation pro-cess [64,65]. As already mentioned, minimum and maximum angle values have been defined for respective gait phases in healthy population, and the measured values are compared in the course of rehabilitation.…”

Use of three-dimensional digital image correlation to evaluate mechanical response of prosthetic systems

“…Although there have been several attempts to achieve proper fitting and mechanical resistance for lower limb prostheses, 6,7 the biomechanics of this prosthetic system (PS) are still not completely understood. 8,9 New designs are to be tested under dynamic loads to improve function and durability; however, most of these materials are not suitable for surface instrumentation due to their high elastic deformation ranges. 10 In order to increase the understanding of the interaction between amputee and PS during gait, our work uses three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D DIC) to evaluate the mechanical response of a PS under real dynamic loads.…”