Dynamic Lower-Limb Alignment Focusing on Gait Stability

Abstract

Introduction: Prosthetic limbs must be developed with proper alignment to facilitate safe and efficient gait patterns. This study aimed to identify factors impacting clinically proper gait patterns by objectively evaluating them in persons with lower-limb amputations who use prosthetic limbs. Materials and Methods: This non-experimental descriptive study assessed 58 persons with amputation who used prosthetic limbs. The mechanical axis angle (MAA) of the lower limb during the heel contact, midstance, and toe-off phases and the angle between the tube and floor during the midstance phase were measured using coronal plane gait images. We also investigated whether the MAA and tube angle during the midstance phase have a multimodal distribution. In case of multimodal distributions, we tested for significant between-group differences in patient characteristics. Results: The MAA and tube angle in the coronal plane during the midstance phase had a bimodal distribution (mean 0°). There was a significant difference in the duration of prosthetic limb use between the MAA Conclusions: In this study, prosthetic alignment during the midstance phase had a bimodal distribution. In both groups, deviations in the lower limb MAA were aligned to be approximately 3°.