In a recently published study, a team of researchers investigated the impact of powered prosthetic ankle-foot on musculoskeletal pain. They concluded that people with transtibial amputations may experience relief of sound knee, amputated side knee, and low-back pain, as well as pain-related restrictions in activities of daily living function with use of a powered ankle-foot mechanism.
The study’s authors noted that passive components provide a fraction of the push-off power of the natural ankle-foot complex, and that, in people with transtibial amputations, a lack of push-off power in prosthetic components leads to deviations and compensatory mechanisms. However, other reports have found significant unloading of the sound limb and knee joint with a powered prosthetic ankle-foot.
For the latest study, 250 people who used powered prosthetic ankle-foot components were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study. They completed a survey, which collected typical prosthetic history information as well as Numerical Pain Rating Scales across different body regions, the Socket Comfort Score (SCS), the Activity of Daily Living domain of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS-ADL), and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for both their current and past prosthetic ankle-foot. The differences between results across the two ankle-feet were evaluated in subgroups dependent on the user’s current foot.
Fifty-seven people met the inclusion criteria after completion of the online survey. Forty-one subjects (71.9 percent) identified as current powered ankle-foot users. Sixteen subjects (28.1 percent) reported to have used a powered ankle-foot in the past but had since abandoned it. The current powered ankle-foot users’ group saw no significant difference in SCS.
The current passive foot users reported significantly better socket comfort for the prosthesis with the passive foot. The original and recall-adjusted median ratings of pain in the group of 41 current powered ankle-foot users showed significantly less pain in all three body segments.
In the group of 41 current powered ankle-foot users, both the original and recall-adjusted KOOS-ADL and ODI scores were significantly better for the powered ankle-foot.
The open-access study, “Impact of a powered prosthetic ankle-foot component on musculoskeletal pain in individuals with transtibial amputation: A real-world cross-sectional study with concurrent and recalled pain and functional ratings,” was published in the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics.
