Article

Few published reports exist regarding the control of the
human/prosthesis interface in persons with unilateral transtibial amputation.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate strategies employed by prosthetic users in controlling
the human/prosthesis interface to highlight challenges associated with either the
amputation or the design of the prosthesis. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled
trial. METHODS: Cycling was used as the locomotor task to allow for better
control of task mechanics compared to walking. A group of nine cyclists with
intact limbs were compared to eight cyclists with transtibial amputation (CTA)
during a simulated cycling time trial. The CTA group pedaled with a stiff and
flexible prosthetic foot. Reaction forces between the foot and the pedal were
measured using an instrumented pedal system. The force effectiveness (FE) ratio
was used as the measure of task performance. The FE ratio is the force component
normal to the bicycle crank arm divided by the resultant force for both limbs and
is commonly used to analyze pedaling technique. RESULTS: The CTA group was
equally as effective at applying forces as the intact group. CONCLUSIONS: These
data suggest that individuals with lower limb loss are able to compensate for
their amputation to utilize a similar pedaling technique for locomotor
performance. As global strategies, e.g. force effectiveness, appear similar
between groups future research should focus on local strategies, e.g. individual joint kinematics and kinetics.
Cyclisme

Langue : ANGLAIS