Variability of kinetic variables during gait in unilateral transtibial amputees

Abstract

<jats:p>Background: Prosthetic gait increases demands on stability. Some variability measures can be used to investigate the stability of movement for prosthetic feet.</jats:p><jats:p>Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the prosthetic foot on ground reaction force variability for transtibial amputee gait.</jats:p><jats:p>Study Design: Comparative analysis.</jats:p><jats:p>Methods: Eleven male unilateral transtibial amputees participated in this study. Each subject walked at self-selected speed with both conventional (SACH) and energy storing (Sureflex) feet. Time and ground reaction force variables and their coefficients of variation were calculated for each foot type and limb.</jats:p><jats:p>Results: Mediolateral force variables had high variability for all conditions. The Sureflex had a larger variability than the SACH foot for the braking peak ( p &lt; 0.05), which may have been caused by gait instability after the heel strike. There were significant differences between intact and prosthetic limbs in total loading (force impulses) with the SACH foot ( p &lt; 0.05).</jats:p><jats:p>Conclusions: The prosthetic foot and alignment issues related to the foot influence GRF variability. During the braking phase the SACH foot is characterized by higher variability in mediolateral direction and Sureflex by higher variability in anterior-posterior direction.</jats:p><jats:p>Clinical relevance</jats:p><jats:p>Differences in variability in ground reaction force variables can represent a person’s stability. Observing variability can contribute to better understanding of critical events in gait cycle with the use of various prosthetic feet.</jats:p>

System of gait analysis based on ground reaction force assessment

“…Results of the analyses have been used in Master theses, doctoral dissertations and scientific papers (Martinásková, Gallo, Kamínek, & Janura, 2014;Svoboda et al, 2012).…”

“…The most frequently assessed variables are force magnitudes at individual peaks of the force-time curve of the vertical component and force peaks of the anteroposterior (AP) component in the braking and propulsive phases (Fortin et al, 2008;Vanicek, Strike, McNaughton, & Polman, 2009). Analysis of temporal and force variables in the mediolateral (ML) direction is used less frequently (Fortin et al, 2008) due to their relatively high variability (Svoboda, Janura, Cabell, & Elfmark, 2012). A large number of proposed temporal and force variables was listed in the study by Racic, Pavic, and Brownjohn (2009).…”

Analysis and prediction of upper extremity movements by cyclograms

“…The concept of cyclograms, although already known to the biomechanics community, has not been systematically used to study upper limbs movements during walking. The proposed methods are designed to be used as tools for physiotherapists and physicians to identify a disorder or disease and suggest treatment [33]. The methods may also be implemented in software of MoCap systems or driven prostheses.…”

Test-retest reliability of the net joint power transferred by the lower limbs during walking in healthy men

“…Net joint power is a complex quantity that incorporates information on kinematics and kinetics of human movement. Sadeghi, Allard, Prince, and Labelle (2000) describe net muscle power transferred by the lower limb joints during gait as a valuable indicator of the ability to accelerate the ues measured in such individuals can be taken as the norm when evaluating gait dysfunction (Õunpuu, Davis, & DeLuca, 1996) in young individuals with lower limb amputation (Svoboda, Janura, Cabell, & Elfmark, 2012) or other pathological conditions such as Achilles tendon elongation (Jandačka, Zahradnik, Foldyna, & Hamill, 2013). A pathological condition in the human motor system can be often demonstrated by a gait pattern which is unambiguously abnormal (Whittle, 2007).…”