Lower extremity leg amputation: an advantage in running?

Abstract

The goal in the rehabilitation of amputees is full reintegration into society. The ability to engage in sports activities is part of the rehabilitation. The prosthetic leg is individually fitted and specialized for one specific type of competition. The discussions regarding bilateral trans‐tibial amputee, Oscar Pistorius, focus on the advantages of wearing prosthetic feet. With a holistic view on prosthetic applications, such as the challenges of selection, fitting, alignment, the adaptation of the socket, and the compensatory strategies of the amputee, it is hard to imagine that a bilateral amputee has advantages compared to an able‐bodied athlete. This article describes the clinical view of fitting an amputee athlete and describes the disadvantages of amputees compared to able‐bodied sprinters with a focus on the prosthetic fitting and the interface.