The widely used above-the-knee prosthesis is composed of a quadri­ lateral muscle-contour, wooden thigh socket, a knee mechanism, a wooden shank, a SACH foot, and a suitable pelvic suspension. This type of pros­ thesis has met with considerable success in most patients, but it is expensive and not all geriatric patients can wear it. A so-called temporary limb—a modified long brace with a leathe...

We present a proprioceptive feedback system for lower-limb amputees based on vibratory stimulation applied on the thigh. The system should be integrated in the prosthesis for overcoming the missing proprioceptive information from the amputated foot sole. It acquires data from one pressure-sensitive insole, inserted in the shoe of the amputated foot, and elaborates the acquired information for t...

Bilateral amputees who are fitted with standard full length prostheses find it difficult to walk fast or climb up and down stairs. Usually stubbies, or short prostheses with non-articulated rocker bottoms, are also provided, especially for geriatric amputees. An interchangeable system has been evolved which enables the same prosthesis to be used either as a full length prosthesis or as a stubby...

Five different commonly prescribed ankle-foot devices for below-knee prostheses were tested for effects on gait: SACH, SAFE, SEATTLE, SINGLE AXIS, and MULTIPLE AXIS. Subjective ratings by the amputees served to resolve which physical variables determined the preferred ankle-foot device. Ratings were related to age, body weight, length of residual limb, and ratio of stride frequency to stride le...

Objective The purpose of this study was to verify functional status of diabetic foot patients submitted to lower limb major amputation after the discharge of a university hospital, reference in vascular surgery. A cohort of 31 diabetic foot patients was identified from the electronic medical records. Data were retrospectively collected from each patients chart including age, gender, peripheral ...

Forty-three (43) trans-tibial prostheses with a mean period of use of 33 months were evaluated in terms of utilisation and durability. The majority of the prostheses (80%) were worn by amputees with demanding occupations, such as farmers, fishermen and tradesmen. The prostheses were in use approximately 9 hours per day. No major or frequent breakdowns of the polypropylene prosthetic components ...

In this chapter we are interested in designing estimators for the internal variables of two kind of robots, wheeled mobile and robotic leg prosthesis, based on a recently developed robust descriptor Kalman filter. The proposed approach is reasonable since descriptor formulation can cope with algebraic restrictions on system’s signals. Further, the recursiveness of this class of filter is useful...

To cite: Bosman WM, Prakken FJ, Pijls BG, et al. BMJ Case Rep Published online: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/ bcr-2013-200692 DESCRIPTION A 69-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a painful left foot after a fall from a motorised wheelchair in an attempt to avoid a collision with a cyclist. Medical history included adipositas (body mass index (BMI) 36), diabe...

Individuals with unilateral below-knee amputation expend more energy than non-amputees during walking and exhibit reduced push-off work and increased hip work in the affected limb. Simple dynamic models of walking suggest a possible solution, predicting that increasing prosthetic ankle push-off should decrease leading limb collision, thereby reducing overall energy requirements. We conducted a ...

Some functions of walking are adversely affected in prosthesis users because of reduced or absent ankle motion. However, combining a prosthetic ankle unit with a particular prosthetic foot could have unanticipated consequences. This study investigated the effect of prosthetic ankle units on the gait of persons with bilateral transtibial amputations. Subjects were tested while walking with and w...