TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of gait training and prosthetic foot category on external work symmetry during unilateral transtibial amputee gait
AU - Agrawal, Vibhor
AU - Gailey, Robert
AU - O'T́oole, Christopher
AU - Gaunaurd, Ignacio
AU - Finnieston, Adam
N1 - Funding Information:
This material was based on work supported in part by Ossur Americas. The research project was administered through the Miami VA Healthcare System and the South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education.
PY - 2013/10
Y1 - 2013/10
N2 - 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.
AB - 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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U2 - 10.1177/0309364612473501
DO - 10.1177/0309364612473501
M3 - Article
C2 - 23364890
AN - SCOPUS:84889003999
VL - 37
SP - 396
EP - 403
JO - Prosthetics and Orthotics International
JF - Prosthetics and Orthotics International
SN - 0309-3646
IS - 5
ER -