Article

Analysis of upper-body accelerations is a promising and simple technique for
quantitatively assessing some general features of gait such as stability,
harmony, and symmetry.
Despite the growing literature on elderly healthy
populations and neurological patients, few studies have used accelerometry to
investigate these features in subjects with lower-limb amputation. We enrolled
four groups of subjects: subjects with transfemoral amputation who walked with a
locked knee prosthesis, subjects with transfemoral amputation who walked with an
unlocked knee prosthesis, subjects with transtibial amputation, and age-matched
nondisabled subjects. We found statistically significant differences for
stability (p < 0.001), harmony (p < 0.001), and symmetry (p < 0.001) of walking,
with general trends following the noted order of subjects, but with the lowest
laterolateral harmony in subjects with transtibial amputation. This study is the
first to investigate upper-body acceleration of subjects with unilateral
lower-limb amputation during walking who were evaluated upon dismissal from a
rehabilitation hospital; it is also the first study to differentiate the sample
in terms of level of amputation and type of prosthesis used.

Langue : ANGLAIS