Article

Over 50% of individuals with lower limb amputation fall at least once each year.
These individuals also exhibit reduced ability to effectively respond to
challenges to frontal plane stability. The range of whole body angular momentum
has been correlated with stability and fall risk. This study determined how
lateral walking surface perturbations affected the regulation of whole body and
individual leg angular momentum in able-bodied controls and individuals with
unilateral transtibial amputation. Participants walked at fixed speed in a
Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment with no perturbations and
continuous, pseudo-random, mediolateral platform oscillations. Both the ranges
and variability of angular momentum for both the whole body and both legs were
significantly greater (p<0.001) during platform oscillations. There were no
significant differences between groups in whole body angular momentum range or
variability during unperturbed walking. The range of frontal plane angular
momentum was significantly greater for those with amputation than for controls
for all segments (p<0.05). For the whole body and intact leg, angular momentum
ranges were greater for patients with amputation. However, for the prosthetic
leg, angular momentum ranges were less for patients than controls. Patients with
amputation were significantly more affected by the perturbations. Though patients
with amputation were able to maintain similar patterns of whole body angular
momentum during unperturbed walking, they were more highly destabilized by the
walking surface perturbations. Individuals with transtibial amputation appear to
predominantly use altered motion of the intact limb to maintain mediolateral
stability.
CI - Copyright (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS