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[Walking activity in prosthesis-bearing lower-limb amputees].
G-A Carmona1, A Lacraz, M Assal
1Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique de l'Appareil Moteur, Département de Chirurgie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, 24 rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
This study tracked prosthesis use in lower-limb amputees, finding that above-knee amputees and those using walking aids experienced significant reductions in daily walking time, with walking time decreasing with age.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Prosthetics
Context:
- Gait analysis in amputees is largely laboratory-based.
- Real-life prosthesis use and daily walking activity data are lacking.
- Understanding real-world walking behavior is crucial for effective rehabilitation.
Purpose:
- To assess daily walking activity in home-dwelling lower-limb amputees using prostheses.
- To identify factors influencing walking performance in this population.
- To provide objective data complementing laboratory gait analysis.
Summary:
- 43 lower-limb amputees (Syme amputation or higher) wore a StepWatch3 activity monitor for 15 days.
- Data collected included steps, walking time, and velocity, alongside patient characteristics.
- Below-knee amputees not using walking aids and with non-vascular amputations showed the best performance.
Impact:
- Above-knee amputees lost an average of 93 minutes of walking time daily (21% loss).
- Prosthesis users requiring walking aids lost 58 minutes of walking time daily (13% loss).
- Daily walking time decreased by approximately 2.5 minutes per year of age.
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