Functional Outcome of Transfemoral Amputees Fitted With an Osseointegrated Fixation: Temporal Gait Characteristics

Abstract

In Brief The purpose of this study was to characterize the functional outcome of 12 transfemoral amputees fitted with osseointegrated fixation using temporal gait characteristics. The objectives were a) to present the cadence, duration of gait cycle, support, and swing phases with an emphasis on the stride-to-stride and participant-to-participant variability, and b) to compare these temporal variables with normative data extracted from the literature focusing on transfemoral amputees fitted with a socket and able-bodied participants. The temporal variables were extracted from the load applied on the residuum during straight level walking, which was collected at 200 Hz by a transducer. A total of 613 strides were assessed. The cadence (46 ± 4 strides/minute), the duration of the gait cycle (1.29 ± 0.11 seconds), support (0.73 ± 0.07 seconds, 57% ± 3% of cadence cycle) and swing (0.56 ± 0.07 seconds, 43 ± 3% of gait cycle) phases of the participants were 2% quicker, 3% and 6% shorter, and 1% longer than transfemoral amputees using a socket and 11% slower and 9%, 6%, and 13% longer than able bodied, respectively. All combined, the results indicated that the fitting of an osseointegrated fixation has enabled this group of amputees to restore their locomotion with a highly functional level. Further longitudinal and cross-sectional studies would be required to confirm these outcomes. Nonetheless, the data presented can be used as benchmark for future comparisons. It can also be used as input in generic algorithms using templates of patterns of loading to recognize activities of daily living and to detect falls. The purpose of this study was to characterize the functional outcome of 12 transfemoral amputees fitted with osseointegrated fixation using temporal gait characteristics. The objectives were a) to present the cadence, duration of gait cycle, support, and swing phases with an emphasis on the stride-to-stride and participant- to-participant variability, and b) to compare these temporal variables with normative data extracted from the literature focusing on transfemoral amputees fitted with a socket and able-bodied participants. All combined, the results indicated that the fitting of an osseointegrated fixation has enabled this group of amputees to restore their locomotion with a highly functional level.