A kneeless leg prothesis for the elderly amputee, advanced version.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Conventional above-knee prostheses present challenges in gait and stability.
• Development of advanced prosthetic limbs is crucial for improving amputee mobility.
• Existing prosthetic technologies require further refinement for optimal patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a reliable, commercially viable, and manufacturable telescopic kneeless leg prosthesis.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the novel prosthesis in improving gait characteristics.
• To compare the performance of the new prosthesis against conventional National Health Service (N.H.S.) above-knee prostheses.

Main Methods:

• Modification and refinement of a telescopic kneeless leg prosthesis design.
• Clinical evaluation involving three patients with above-knee amputations.
• Comparative analysis of gait characteristics, proprioception, and stability.

Main Results:

• The modified prosthesis demonstrated significant improvements in gait characteristics.
• Enhanced proprioception and stability were observed compared to first prototypes.
• Satisfactory clinical evaluation results were obtained from the three participating patients.
• The prosthesis outperformed conventional N.H.S. above-knee prostheses in key areas.

Conclusions:

• The telescopic kneeless leg prosthesis has achieved a reliable and manufacturable stage.
• The novel prosthesis offers significant advantages in terms of stability and proprioception.
• This development represents a substantial advancement in above-knee prosthetic technology.