Over the last decade, technological advances in prosthetic limb design have enhanced the functional capabilities of the amputee. New fabrication materials and innovative mechanisms of prosthetic joints allow for a more natural gait pattern by adaptation of the prosthetic leg to various terrains and walking velocities. The prosthetic foot plays an important role in breaking, balancing, propelling, and supporting body loads while the amputee ambulates on different terrains. The consequences of choosing one prosthetic foot over the other may affect energy expenditure, activity level, balance, and proprioception. For example, the introduction of prosthetic ankle motion, enabled by using a flexion unit and a torsion unit, was found to improve walking performance in bilateral transtibial amputation (TTA) patients. Fitting a suitable prosthesis for the amputee will enable balance control and therefore build the patient’s confidence towards a safe and comfortable return to normal daily activities. It is therefore important to quantify the effect of each new prosthetic foot mechanism on the biomechanical and functional parameters, in order to assess its compatibility to amputees with different activity levels and personal characteristics.

Gait after a unilateral lower-limb amputation is often asymmetric, as evidenced by shorter stance and longer swing phases for the prosthetic than non-prosthetic leg and asymmetries in double stance support durations accompanied by a reduced propulsion force generated by the prosthetic leg. Typically, also step length differs between sides. Prosthetic step length represents the fore-after distance between non-prosthetic and subsequent prosthetic foot placement positions (conversely for non-prosthetic step length). However, the direction of step-length asymmetry varies inconsistently across amputees, resulting in the absence of systematic difference between prosthetic and non-prosthetic step lengths within a sample. Thus, even though step length is one of the most commonly used parameters in prosthetic gait analysis, step-length asymmetries are difficult to interpret in amputees.

The prosthetic foot plays an important role in propelling, breaking, balancing and supporting body loads while the amputee ambulates on different grounds. It is therefore important to quantify the effect of the prosthetic foot mechanism on biomechanical parameters, in order to prevent pressure ulcers and deep tissue injury.
International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation welcomes research articles, review articles, methodologies, commentaries, case reports, perspectives and short communications encompassing all aspects of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. This journal provides latest developments in theoretical, experimental and clinical investigations in physical Medicine & Rehabilitation for Physiatrists and Rehabilitation researches.

This peer reviewed journal includes following topics but are not limited to: acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders and pain, neurologic conditions involving the central and peripheral nervous systems, amputation, prosthetics and orthotics, mobility, gait, rehabilitation of impairments associated with disabilities in adults and children, and neurophysiology and electrodiagnosis studies, etc. Contributions accross the globe from all types of professions in rehabilitation are therefore encouraged.

Submit manuscript as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at manuscripts@longdom.org

NLMID: 101613009
Index Copernicus Value: 62.49
Journal Impact Factor: 0.98
Thanks and Regards
Editorial Team
Int J Phys Med Rehabil