How do prosthetic stiffness, height and running speed affect the biomechanics of athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations?
Abstract
Limited available information describes how running-specific prostheses and running speed affect the biomechanics of athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations. Accordingly, we quantified the effects of prosthetic stiffness, height and speed on the biomechanics of five athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations during treadmill running. Each athlete performed a set of running trials with 15 different prosthetic model, stiffness and height combinations. Each set of trials began with the athlete running on a force-measuring treadmill at 3 m s−1, subsequent trials incremented by 1 m s−1until they achieved their fastest attainable speed. We collected ground reaction forces (GRFs) during each trial. Prosthetic stiffness, height and running speed each affected biomechanics. Specifically, with stiffer prostheses, athletes exhibited greater peak and stance average vertical GRFs (β= 0.03;pβ= 0.21;pβ= −0.07;pβ= 0.042;pβ= −0.021;pβ= −0.58;p< 0.001). Moreover, at faster running speeds, the effect of prosthetic stiffness and height on biomechanics was mitigated and unchanged, respectively. Thus, prosthetic stiffness, but not height, likely influences distance running performance more than sprinting performance for athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1098/rsif.2017.0230
Entities
People
- Alena M Grabowski
- Owen N Beck
- Paolo Taboga
Organizations
- California State University, Sacramento
- United States Department of Defense
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- University of Colorado