Article

The biomechanics of amputee turning gait has been minimally studied, in spite of
its integral relationship with the more complex gait required for household or
community ambulation. This study compares the biomechanics of unilateral
transtibial amputees and non-amputees completing a common turning task. Full body
gait analysis was completed for subjects walking at comparable self-selected
speeds around a 1m radius circular path. Peak internal and external rotation
moments of the hip, knee and ankle, mediolateral ground reaction impulse (ML
GRI), peak effective limb length, and stride length were compared across
conditions (non-amputee, amputee prosthetic limb, amputee sound limb). Amputees
showed decreased internal rotation moments at the prosthetic limb hip and knee
compared to non-amputees, perhaps as a protective mechanism to minimize stress on
the residual limb. There was also an increase in amputee sound limb hip external
rotation moment in early stance compared to non-amputees, which may be a
compensation for the decrease in prosthetic limb internal rotation moment during
late stance of the prior step. ML GRI was decreased for the amputee inside limb
compared to non-amputee, possibly to minimize the body's acceleration in the
direction of the turn. Amputees also exhibited a shorter inside limb stride
length compared to non-amputees. Both decreased ML GRI and stride length indicate
a COM that is more centered over the base of support, which may minimize the risk
of falling. Finally, a longer effective limb length was found for the amputee
inside limb turning, possibly due to excessive trunk shift.
CI - Published by Elsevier B.V.

Langue : ANGLAIS