Prosthetic shape, but not stiffness or height, affects the maximum speed of sprinters with bilateral transtibial amputations

Running-specific prostheses (RSPs) have facilitated an athlete with bilateral transtibial amputations to compete in the Olympic Games. However, the performance effects of using RSPs compared to biological legs remains controversial. Further, the use of different prosthetic configurations such as sha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2020-02, Vol.15 (2), p.e0229035-e0229035
Main Authors: Taboga, Paolo, Beck, Owen N, Grabowski, Alena M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acinonyx jubatus
Adult
Algorithms
Amputation
Amputation, Surgical
Artificial Limbs
Athletes
Biology and Life Sciences
Biomechanics
Comparative analysis
Configurations
Contact length
Energy
Engineering and Technology
Female
Fitness equipment
Force
Humans
Innovations
Leg
Legs
Male
Medicine and Health Sciences
Models, Theoretical
Olympic games
Physical Sciences
Prostheses
Prostheses and implants
Prosthesis Design
Prosthetics
Runners (Sports)
Running
Social Sciences
Stiffness
Tendons
Time
Track & field
Vertical forces
Young Adult
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Summary:Running-specific prostheses (RSPs) have facilitated an athlete with bilateral transtibial amputations to compete in the Olympic Games. However, the performance effects of using RSPs compared to biological legs remains controversial. Further, the use of different prosthetic configurations such as shape, stiffness, and height likely influence performance. We determined the effects of using 15 different RSP configurations on the maximum speed of five male athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations. These athletes performed sets of running trials up to maximum speed using three different RSP models (Freedom Innovations Catapult FX6, Össur Flex-Foot Cheetah Xtend and Ottobock 1E90 Sprinter) each with five combinations of stiffness category and height. We measured ground reaction forces during each maximum speed trial to determine the biomechanical parameters associated with different RSP configurations and maximum sprinting speeds. Use of the J-shaped Cheetah Xtend and 1E90 Sprinter RSPs resulted in 8.3% and 8.0% (p
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0229035