A Japanese lower limb prosthesis with a fore-joint foot and turntable

Amputees wearing conventional prostheses have often found difficulty when conforming with the conventions of Japanese social life, since the prosthesis is not well adapted to walking in bare feet or sitting cross-legged. The authors described a modified prosthesis with a spring-loaded rotation mechanism that can be initiated unobtrusively and a modified foot piece in which the ankle motion is transmitted via a lever arm to a joint placed more anteriorly than usual. Nearly 250 patients have been fitted with the prosthesis and 40 have undergone laboratory gait analysis. The results indicate a walking cycle and foot pressure pattern more closely resembling the normal, than that obtained by other prosthetic systems.