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Prosthetic alignment effects on gait symmetry: a case study
1Department of Exercise Science, University of Massachusetts, USA.
Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)
|August 7, 2013
Summary
Adjusting below-knee prosthesis alignment significantly impacts gait. Even subtle antero-posterior socket shifts alter knee motion and stance, revealing amputee sensitivity to alignment for optimal ambulation.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Human Locomotion
Background:
- Lower extremity amputation alters human ambulation patterns, affecting kinematic, kinetic, and metabolic parameters.
- Prosthetists aim to optimize gait performance and patient comfort with artificial limbs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of antero-posterior prosthesis alignment on sagittal plane gait kinematics in a below-knee amputee.
- To compare gait parameters between the anatomical and prosthetic limbs.
Main Methods:
- A case study approach was used to analyze sagittal plane gait kinematics.
- Antero-posterior alignment of a below-knee prosthesis was varied, and its effects on gait were assessed.
- Kinematic data were compared between the sound limb and the prosthetic limb.
Main Results:
- Significant kinematic changes occurred during the prosthetic stance phase, particularly in knee angles, showing asymmetry.
- Anterior socket displacement led to reduced stance phase, early knee flexion, and toe-off.
- Posterior socket displacement increased maximum center of gravity height, while anterior displacement decreased it due to increased knee flexion.
Conclusions:
- Subjectively optimal prosthesis alignment did not always minimize temporal and kinematic asymmetries.
- The amputee demonstrated subclinical sensitivity to antero-posterior alignment discrepancies, highlighting the importance of precise adjustments.
