Journal article
Whole-body angular momentum during stair walking using passive and powered lower-limb prostheses
Journal of biomechanics, Vol.47(13), pp.3380-3389
10/17/2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.08.001
PMID: 25213178
Abstract
Individuals with a unilateral transtibial amputation have a greater risk of falling compared to able-bodied individuals, and falling on stairs can lead to serious injuries. Individuals with transtibial amputations have lost ankle plantarflexor muscle function, which is critical for regulating whole-body angular momentum to maintain dynamic balance. Recently, powered prostheses have been designed to provide active ankle power generation with the goal of restoring biological ankle function. However, the effects of using a powered prosthesis on the regulation of whole-body angular momentum are unknown. The purpose of this study was to use angular momentum to evaluate dynamic balance in individuals with a transtibial amputation using powered and passive prostheses relative to able-bodied individuals during stair ascent and descent. Ground reaction forces, external moment arms, and joint powers were also investigated to interpret the angular momentum results. A key result was that individuals with an amputation had a larger range of sagittal-plane angular momentum during prosthetic limb stance compared to able-bodied individuals during stair ascent. There were no significant differences in the frontal, transverse, or sagittal-plane ranges of angular momentum or maximum magnitude of the angular momentum vector between the passive and powered prostheses during stair ascent or descent. These results indicate that individuals with an amputation have altered angular momentum trajectories during stair walking compared to able-bodied individuals, which may contribute to an increased fall risk. The results also suggest that a powered prosthesis provides no distinct advantage over a passive prosthesis in maintaining dynamic balance during stair walking.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Whole-body angular momentum during stair walking using passive and powered lower-limb prostheses
- Creators
- Nathaniel T Pickle - Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USAJason M Wilken - Center for the Intrepid, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Brooke Army Medical Center, JBSA Ft. Sam Houston, TX 78234, USAJennifer M Aldridge - Center for the Intrepid, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Brooke Army Medical Center, JBSA Ft. Sam Houston, TX 78234, USARichard R Neptune - Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USAAnne K Silverman - Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of biomechanics, Vol.47(13), pp.3380-3389
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.08.001
- PMID
- 25213178
- ISSN
- 0021-9290
- eISSN
- 1873-2380
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100006965, name: U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center; name: Center for Rehabilitation Sciences Research (CRSR); name: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; name: Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/17/2014
- Academic Unit
- Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
- Record Identifier
- 9984047874502771
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