Mobility function of a prosthetic knee joint with an automatic stance phase lock.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Science
• Prosthetics and Orthotics

Background:

• Need for affordable and functional prosthetic knee joints in developing countries.
• Current prosthetic knees may not meet the diverse needs of amputees.
• Developing countries require technologically appropriate prosthetic solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and clinically evaluate a novel stance phase controlled prosthetic knee joint.
• To provide stance phase stability without compromising swing phase flexion.
• To assess the functional appropriateness for developing countries.

Main Methods:

• Crossover repeated measures study design.
• Comparison of the new knee joint with conventional low- and high-end prosthetic knees.
• Clinical evaluation in 14 individuals (aged 15-67) with unilateral lower limb amputations, measuring walking speed and physiological cost index (PCI).

Main Results:

• Walking speed with the new knee was 0.14 m/s faster than low-end knees (p < 0.0001) and 0.07 m/s slower than high-end knees (p = 0.008).
• Physiological cost index (PCI) was comparable across all tested knee joint technologies (p = 0.276).
• The new knee's mobility function closely matched high-end prosthetic knees in terms of walking speed.

Conclusions:

• The new stance phase control prosthetic knee offers functional advantages, closely matching high-end knee performance.
• Its simple design and cost-effectiveness make it a suitable option for active transfemoral amputees.
• This prosthetic knee represents a potentially functional and economical solution for individuals in developing countries.