Article

Understanding leg stiffness (K (leg)) in amputee sprinters is
important for the evaluation of their sprint ability and development of
running-specific prostheses (RSP). Objectives:
To investigate K (leg) during
hopping in amputee sprinters. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Seven
transtibial (TT) and seven transfemoral (TF) amputee sprinters, as well as seven
non-active able-bodied subjects, performed one-legged hopping matching metronome
beats at 2.2 Hz. Amputees hopped on their sound limb whereas able-bodied (AB)
subjects hopped on their dominant limb. Using a spring-mass model, K (leg) was
calculated from the subjects' body mass, ground contact and flight times.
Results: Both TT and TF sprinters demonstrated significantly higher K (leg) than
AB subjects. K (leg) during hopping on the sound leg significantly correlated
with personal records attained in a 100-m sprint in both TT (r = -0.757) and TF
sprinters (r = -0.855). Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that
amputee sprinters have a greater K (leg) during hopping than inactive
non-amputees, and that their sprint ability can be predicted from the K (leg)
during hopping at 2.2 Hz on the sound limb. Clinical relevance Exercise
challenges need to be taken into consideration when planning routine training
regimens for amputee sprinters. Furthermore, increased understanding of K (leg)
in amputee sprinters is relevant to evaluate their sprint ability and develop running-specific prostheses.

Langue : ANGLAIS