Article

Objective: To establish the adaptation strategy transtibial
amputees use after mass perturbation of their prosthetic lower
leg.
Design: We investigated whether the measured adaptations
to mass perturbation of the lower leg in transtibial amputees
can better be described as (1) a kinetic invariance strategy in
which kinetics (joint torques) remain the same while kinematics
(joint angles) change or (2) a kinematic invariance strategy
in which kinematics remain the same while kinetics change.
Setting: A gait laboratory.
Participants: Ten transtibial amputees.
Interventions: Five different mass conditions.
Main Outcome Measures: Measured joint torques and angles
during the swing phase in the different mass conditions.
Results: Mass perturbation induced more significant
changes and larger effect sizes in joint torques than in joint
angles.
Conclusions: Transtibial amputees adapt to mass perturbation
primarily by maintaining the same kinematic pattern and
adjusting their joint torques, that is, they use a kinematic
invariance strategy. This implies that manipulating prosthetic
inertial properties does not directly influence gait kinematics
and that inertial properties should be evaluated in terms of the
energetic cost of the swing phase

Langue : ANGLAIS