Microprocessor knees (MPKs) have been shown to reduce the risk of falls, improve balance, and increase function, evaluated with self-reported scales and questionnaires. A research team in the United Kingdom investigated whether patient-reported improvements were reflected in physical activity parameters with short-term provision of MPKs among participants with unilateral transfemoral amputations.
They found improvements in some outcome measures, but physical activity did not change, and they suggested more longitudinal studies to characterize the impact of MPK provision on physical activity and societal participation.
Twenty-nine patients with transfemoral amputations participated in the MPK trial at two prosthetic centers in England. The researchers obtained self-reported and functional test outcomes (Activities Balance Confidence, Reintegration of Normal Living Index, Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire scores, and the Two-Minute Walk Test) before and after a four-week provision of the MPK. Activity levels were recorded over seven consecutive days pre- and post-MPK.
Self-reported scores and function test outcomes showed a general improvement in most of the patients after the provision of the MPK, with a statistically significant change in Activities Balance Confidence, Reintegration of Normal Living Index, Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire scores, and the Two-Minute Walk Test. The activity-based parameters estimated from actimetry showed no statistically significant changes, and the associations between self-reported and functional outcomes and actimetry parameters were limited, according the to the study.
The open-access study, “Evaluation of activity and function before and immediately after the provision of a microprocessor knee in individuals with transfemoral amputation,” was published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International.
