Article

The role of arm motion during the long jump has been well studied.
The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of forearm mass on impulse and
the kinematics of the flight phase in an upper limb amputee.
METHODS: A world-record paralympic long jumper carried out jumps in three
conditions: wearing his usual forearm prosthesis and with 0.3 and 0.4 kg added
mass. A motion capture system including force plates was used to record the jump.
FINDINGS AND OUTCOME: At take-off, the addition of 0.4 kg to the prosthesis
decreased the vertical velocity of the centre of mass but increased horizontal
velocity. These modifications were associated with an increase in landing
distance and an improvement of the synchronization between arms. CONCLUSION:
Increasing forearm mass appears to improve long jump performance. Further studies
need to evaluate the optimal prosthetic mass for both training and competition.
This biomechanical analysis of the long jump highlighted the
effects of changing prosthesis mass on performance. This methodological approach
may be useful in the context of sport and performance research.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2013.

Langue : ANGLAIS