Article

In patients with lower limb amputations, gait alteration, increased
loading on the intact extremity, and use of prosthesis may lead to joint
degeneration. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of prosthesis type on quadriceps
muscle and distal femoral cartilage thicknesses in transtibial amputees. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 38 below-knee amputees were
enrolled in the study, of which 13 patients were using vacuum system type
prosthesis and 25 patients were using silicon liner pin system prosthesis.
Patients' femoral cartilage and quadriceps muscle thickness measurements were
performed using musculoskeletal ultrasound. RESULTS: When compared with the
intact sides, cartilage and rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, and vastus
medialis muscle thickness values were significantly decreased on the amputee
sides (all p < 0.05). Clinical characteristics and ultrasound measurements were
similar between the two groups except the lateral and medial femoral condyle
thicknesses, thinner in the silicon liner pin system users
(both p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: The distal femoral cartilage and quadriceps muscle thicknesses were
found to be decreased on the amputated sides, and the negative impact on the
cartilage seemed to be worse in the silicon liner pin system users. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:
This study might provide another argument as regards the preference of
vacuum system type prosthesis to prevent possible knee osteoarthritis due to
cartilage thinning in adult transtibial amputees.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

Langue : ANGLAIS