Trip recoveries of people with unilateral, transfemoral or knee disarticulation amputations: Initial findings

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to provide novel findings from the kinematics of five amputees following a laboratory-induced trip. Only amputees with a unilateral, transfemoral or knee disarticulation amputation were included in this study. When the prosthesis was obstructed, all subjects used a lowering strategy, resulting in three harness-assisted recoveries and one fall. When the non-prosthetic limb was obstructed, one subject fell using an elevating strategy, one subject fell using a lowering strategy, and one subject, who was harness-assisted, used a hopping strategy. These results can be used to guide further studies of how to limit prosthetic knee flexion due to weight-bearing during a lowering strategy, implement compensatory step training to reduce fall risk, and identify appropriate, context-specific recovery strategies for people with transfemoral or knee disarticulation amputations.

Keywords: Amputee; Artificial limbs; Balance; Falls; Prosthesis.