A recent study compared functional capacity, pain intensity, satisfaction level, and quality of life (QoL) for users of prosthetic feet with non-articulating ankles (NAA) with those using carbon feet with articulating hydraulic ankles (AHA). The results indicated no significant differences in outcome measures between the two groups, except the level of difficulty experienced during descending ramps was higher in the NAA group than in the AHA group.
Participants were 42 high-activity patients from a tertiary rehabilitation center who were grouped in an even split between those who used an NAA and who used an AHA.
Outcome measures were the six-minute walking test (6MWT), Visual Analogue Scale, and the Short Form-36. The level of difficulty experienced during ambulating on different terrains was recorded on a five-point Likert scale.
The data indicated that there were no significant statistical differences in 6MWT, pain intensity, prosthetic foot satisfaction level, and QoL between the two groups, according to the study. The most common reason for dissatisfaction were inflexibility for the NAA group (14.3 percent) and frequent dysfunction for the AHA group (28.6 percent).
The study, “A comparison of two different prosthetic feet on functional capacity, pain severity, satisfaction level and quality of life in high activity patients with unilateral traumatic transtibial amputation,” was published in Injury.
