Amputee Hockey: Biomechanical Evaluations, Problems, and Paralympic Outlook

The first ever ice hockey team of transtibial amputees playing in a standing position was established in St. Petersburg in 1999 under the program "US-Russian Prosthetic Rehabilitation Bridge" [1]. Nowadays, Canada, Russia, USA, Finland, Czech Republic and Latvia have their national associations, two World Championships were conducted (2003 - Kiisakalio, Finland; 2004 - Prague, Czech Republic), and the International Standing Ice Hockey Federation (ISIHF) was formed. Players from the former Yugoslav states, Estonia, Sweden, Israel, and Australia are very active in attempts to form the teams in their countries. Beyond the tournaments, players have participated in many professional conventions and other public events in support of international assistance to landmine victims and rehabilitation of children worldwide. The ISPO has been supportive in disseminating information and knowledge in amputee hockey, providing an opportunity for a demonstration game at the 2004 World Congress in Hong Kong (Figure 1).