Optimising the trans-femoral prosthetic alignment for running, by lowering the knee joint

For amputees to perform an everyday task, or to participate in physical exercise, it is crucial that they have an appropriately designed functional prosthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal trans-femoral prosthetic alignment configuration for running. A case study design was implemented as the method to collect data on four male Paralympic level trans-femoral amputee runners. In total 28 synchronised 3D kinematic, kinetic, and temporal biomechanical measures were analysed. A new prosthetic alignment, in which the prosthetic knee axis was lowered longitudinally (moved distally), was evaluated for running. The performance of the symmetry indices and running time for a total of three new modified alignments were compared to the standard prosthetic alignment. The interlimb asymmetry was found to improve when the subjects ran on the modified prosthetic alignment, and most importantly a one way ANOVA found a statistically significant increase in running velocity. This study identified that for all four subjects, who used the same prosthetic components, lowering the prosthetic knee joint centre improved their interlimb symmetry, and subsequently their running velocity by an average of 26%.