Article

The aim of the study was to investigate the differences in the stability limits
between patients with vascular and nonvascular unilateral transtibial amputation
(UTA) and patients without amputation. Eighteen patients with UTA who used a
prosthesis were divided into two groups: vascular (n=9) and nonvascular (n=9).
Twenty-four patients without amputation served as the control group. Computerized
dynamic posturography Smart EquiTest System, version 8.0 was used for measuring
stability limits. The limits of stability test was used to assess the
participants' ability to voluntarily sway to various locations in space. The
measured parameters were maximum centre of gravity (COG) excursion, endpoint COG
excursion and directional control. Single-factor analysis of variance and
Bonferroni adjustment a posteriori tests was performed to investigate the
differences between groups. The patients with vascular UTA had significantly
lower endpoint COG excursion to oblique and forward direction compared with
controls (P=0.017). In addition, the patients with vascular UTA had significantly
lower maximum COG excursion to oblique and forward and to oblique and backward
directions (P=0.031; 0.019). Patients with vascular UTA had significantly lower
endpoint and maximum COG excursion to oblique and backward direction compared
with patients with nonvascular UTA (P=0.30; 0.029). To summarize, patients with
vascular UTA have substantially reduced limits of stability compared with
patients without amputation and the patients with nonvascular UTA.

Langue : ANGLAIS