Are Gait Parameters for Through-knee Amputees Different From Matched Transfemoral Amputees?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Through-knee amputation is a common procedure for battlefield injuries.
• Limited data exist comparing through-knee amputation to transfemoral amputation for gait parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare gait velocity, cadence, stride length, stride width, and work of ambulation between through-knee and transfemoral amputees.
• To determine if through-knee amputation offers functional advantages over transfemoral amputation.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving six male active-duty military patients with unilateral through-knee amputations.
• Patients were matched to transfemoral amputees based on height, BMI, and contralateral amputation level.
• Three-dimensional gait data were collected and analyzed for participants walking without assistive devices.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in gait velocity (1.18 m/sec vs 1.20 m/sec) or cadence (104 vs 106 steps/min).
• Stride length (70 cm vs 70 cm) and stride width (18 cm vs 19 cm) also showed no significant differences.
• Work of ambulation was comparable between through-knee (8.3 J/kg) and transfemoral amputees (7.5 J/kg).

Conclusions:

• The study did not demonstrate functional advantages of through-knee amputation over transfemoral amputation in terms of gait parameters.
• The utility of through-knee amputation as a definitive level is questioned, pending further investigation.
• Larger patient cohorts are required to validate these exploratory findings.