Studies in load carrying in BK amputees with a PTB prosthesis system

Area of Science:

• Biomechanical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Science
• Prosthetics and Orthotics

Background:

• Load carrying is a common activity in daily life and industrial tasks.
• Understanding the energy expenditure of below-knee (BK) amputees using patellar tendon bearing (PTB) prostheses during load carrying is crucial for functional assessment.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the impact of different load-carrying strategies on the energy costs for BK amputees with PTB prostheses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of various hand-carried load conditions on the energy expenditure of BK amputees using PTB prostheses.
• To compare the energy costs of BK amputees with PTB prostheses to those of able-bodied individuals under different load-carrying scenarios.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study design was employed.
• Participants included a group of BK amputees using PTB prostheses and a control group of able-bodied individuals.
• Energy costs were measured during level walking and stair ascending with different load-carrying conditions (single-hand vs. both-hands).

Main Results:

• A significant difference in energy costs was observed between the BK amputee and able-bodied groups, particularly during level walking with a single-handed load.
• Carrying equal loads in both hands reduced the disparity in energy costs between the two groups during level walking.
• No appreciable difference in energy costs was found between the groups when ascending stairs with equal loads in both hands.

Conclusions:

• The energy cost for BK amputees using PTB prostheses is higher compared to able-bodied individuals, especially with asymmetric (single-handed) load carriage.
• PTB prosthesis users demonstrate a capacity to perform industrial tasks of moderate grade.
• Load-carrying strategies, such as using both hands, can mitigate the increased energy demands for BK amputees.