Article

Individuals with transtibial amputation (TTA) have a high incidence of falls
during walking. Environmental factors, such as uneven ground, often play a
contributing role in these falls. The purpose of this study was to quantify the
adaptations TTA made when walking on a destabilizing loose rock surface. In this
study, 13 young TTA walked over a rock surface and level ground at four
controlled speeds. Subjects successfully traversed the rock surface by adopting a
conservative gait characterized by shorter and wider steps.
They also took
shorter steps with their prosthetic limbs and exhibited greater variability in
foot placement when stepping onto their intact limb. Between-limb differences in
step length and width variability increased at faster walking speeds. TTA
increased hip and knee flexion during initial stance, which contributed lowering
the whole-body center of mass. TTA also increased hip and knee flexion during
swing, enabling them to significantly increase their toe clearance on the rock
surface compared to level ground. Toe clearance on the prosthetic side was aided
by increased ipsilateral hip flexion. The results suggest that TTA were able to
adapt their gait to overcome the challenge imposed by the rock surface. These
adaptations were asymmetric and initiated proximally.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS