Improving adjustable-volume prosthetic socket fit is thought to enhance the connection between the user’s residual limb and prosthesis, which may improve postural control and balance. This led researchers to conduct a study comparing balance-related outcomes for people with transfemoral limb loss using three styles of adjustable-volume sockets and a laminated socket.
A convenience sample of 29 people with unilateral transfemoral amputations were recruited; 23 completed testing in at least one adjustable-volume socket and were included. They completed four four-week trials with each socket, in random order. Adjustable-volume sockets included Infinite (LIM Innovations), CJ (CJ Sockets Technologies), and Quatro (Quorum).
The primary outcomes were self-reported balance, number of falls and stumbles, and balance confidence. Secondary outcomes included the Narrow Beam Walk Test (NBWT) and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Surveys were conducted after at least three weeks of use of each socket, and functional measures were collected after four weeks.
The results indicated no main effects of socket type on self-reported balance, balance confidence, NBWT, or TUG. Eighteen participants (78 percent) reported falling or stumbling at least once in a three-week period in at least one socket condition. There were no differences in the proportion of fallers or stumblers between the laminated condition and any adjustable-socket condition.
The research team concluded that the adjustable-volume prosthetic sockets they tested demonstrated comparable performance to laminated sockets for balance and fall-related outcomes, and suggested that the high number of falls and stumbles indicated that future studies should focus on balance and falls training, acknowledging that changes to the socket may be insufficient.
The open-access study, “Effects of adjustable-volume transfemoral prosthetic sockets on balance and falls: A randomized clinical trial,” was published in PM&R.
