Residual limb length and gait kinematics in transfemoral and knee disarticulation amputees: Preliminary results

Abstract

0.80 0.30 15.3 8.2 37.9 6.0 Cluster 9 0.9 0.2 13.6 5.2 0.61 0.40 33.3 6.4 39.0 8.8 involvement by showing a discrete foot drop during swing phase. The ankle of patients in cluster 3 was in plantar flexion during the main part of the gait cycle. Because of the characteristics this cluster was called reversed second ankle rocker with premature knee extension. Cluster 4, double bump with jump knee, was characterised by a double bump pattern at the ankle and an increased flexion at the hip (p4/1, 4/5, 4/7, 4/8 and 4/9 < 0.001) and the knee. Patients of cluster 5 were presented with a recurvatum knee. These children walked slower (significantly different between all clusters p < 0.001 except for cluster 9) compared to normal subjects, with a clearly decreased ankle power generation at push off (p5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 5/6 and 5/7 < 0.001). Cluster 6 was characterised by a neutral to dorsiflexed ankle, with a double bump pattern in the sagittal plane. Therefore this cluster was called apparent equinus. Due to the reversed second ankle rocker, these patients had a large power absorption at the ankle at midstance (p6/2, 6/4, 6/7 and 6/8 < 0.001). Several features of cluster 6 indicated a stiff knee pattern and a flexed hip. Cluster 7, mild crouch, demonstrated an increased dorsiflexion at loading response (p7/1, 7/2, 7/3, 7/5 and 7/9 < 0.001). Also typical for this group was the increased knee flexion throughout the stance phase. The most outstanding feature of cluster 8 was the severe crouch pattern. Furthermore the ankle showed a lack of plantar flexion during the gait cycle (p8/2, 8/3, 8/5 and 8/9 < 0.0001). Patients in cluster 9 demonstrated continuous plantar flexion at the ankle and flexion at the hip and knee, and could therefore be described as a typical triple flexion pattern. The S.D. and mean of five important parameters were illustrated in Table 1.