The results have been presented of a 2-year survey designed to determine whether external power systems offer a significant contribution to the needs of the upper-limb amputee or whether they represent novelties duplicating the functions of conventional mechanical components. The following conclusions have been drawn: 1. External power does offer advantages to the arm amputee. Myoelectric contr...

PURPOSE To describe the physical fitness of a top-level lower limb amputee (LLA) cyclist and paracycling time-trial (TT) race demands. METHODS The 40-y-old male unilateral transfemoral amputee TT World Champion was tested in a laboratory for peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), ventilatory threshold (VT2), power output (PO), and hemoglobin mass (Hb-mass). Moreover, several measures (eg, PO, heart ra...

In recent decades amputee management has advanced significantly. With the ad­ vent of blood flow studies and new surgical procedures, more knee joints are being saved. Physical therapists, using ad­ vanced facilitation techniques such as pro­ prioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), are better able to restore limb strength, range of motion, and coordina­ tion. Advances in the field of pros...

Background A prosthesis is a crucial technical substitute that should restore biomechanical function and body integrity for people with lower limb loss or congenital limb absence [1]. Within the last decades, lower limb prostheses developed from passive mechanisms to adaptive mechatronic systems [2]. Contemporary, such prostheses evolve to robotic systems providing powered locomotion support by...

Fracture of the residual limb in an amputee is uncommon. Intertrochanteric fractures of patients who had lower limb amputation have been studied only in several case reports; however clinical studies are lacking. We performed a retrospective clinical study to assess if these patients could return to their pre-fracture activity level after dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation of their intertrochante...

This work, supported by the Media Lab Consortium, evaluates the design of a Variable Impedance Prosthetic (VIPr) socket for a transtibial amputee using computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM). Compliant features are seamlessly integrated into a 3D printed socket to achieve lower interface peak pressures over bony protuberances by using anthropomorphic data acquired through surface sca...

The mechanical properties of 15 elastomeric liner products used in limb prosthetics were evaluated under compressive, frictional, shear, and tensile loading conditions. All testing was conducted at load levels comparable to interface stress measurements reported on transtibial amputee subjects. For each test configuration, materials were classified into four groups based on the shapes of their ...

The World Health Organization estimates that 5 to 15% of amputees in any given population have access a prosthesis. This figure is likely worsen as the amputee expected double by 2050, straining limited capacity prosthetics services. Without proper and timely prosthetic interventions, with major lower-limb loss experience adverse mobility outcomes, including independence, lowered quality life, ...