Article

Prostheses are prescribed to restore the mobility of people with amputated lower
limbs. Monitoring the prosthesis wearing times and physical activity of
prosthesis users would provide invaluable information regarding rehabilitation
progress and suitability of the prosthesis. The validation of a method to
determine wearing times and physical activity state, as well as strides taken, of
amputees wearing suction suspension sockets is reported. Eight participants with
transtibial amputation were fitted with custom-made suction sockets. Analysis
algorithms were used to automatically characterize physical activity based on the
pressure at the socket's relief valve. The algorithms were validated in a
laboratory-based protocol that included walking, stair climbing, standing,
sitting, donning, and doffing. Intraclass correlation coefficient (2,1) values of
>0.98 were achieved with mean differences of - 2.0%, 0.3%, 1.3%, and 0.7% for
agreement between "off," "static," and "dynamic" times and stride count,
respectively, as determined by the analysis algorithms and a concurrent video
analysis. This study demonstrates that an interpretation of the pressure at the
pressure-relief valve of suction suspension sockets can be used to determine
wearing times and activity state.

Langue : ANGLAIS