Clinical biomechanics
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Clinical biomechanics · Dec 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialThe influence of energy storage and return foot stiffness on walking mechanics and muscle activity in below-knee amputees.
Below-knee amputees commonly experience asymmetrical gait patterns and develop comorbidities in their intact and residual legs. Carbon fiber prosthetic feet have been developed to minimize these asymmetries by utilizing elastic energy storage and return to provide body support, forward propulsion and leg swing initiation. However, how prosthetic foot stiffness influences walking characteristics is not well-understood. The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of foot stiffness on kinematics, kinetics, muscle activity, prosthetic energy storage and return, and mechanical efficiency during amputee walking. ⋯ Decreasing foot stiffness can increase prosthesis range of motion, mid-stance energy storage and late-stance energy return, but the net contributions to forward propulsion and swing initiation may be limited as additional muscle activity to provide body support becomes necessary.