Daily activities of a transfemoral amputee fitted with osseointegrated fixation: continuous recording of the loading for an evidence-based practice

Abstract

The aims of this study were to provide (A) an extensive description of the continuous recording of the loading regime on the prosthetic leg of transfemoral amputees fitted with an osseointegrated fixation during daily activities and (B) a conceptual framework of analysis based on intrinsic characteristics of the load measured. The load regime applied on the fixation was directly measured and recorded during five hours of daily living using a commercial transducer connected to a data logger. This study showed that the recording can be split into four activities including directional locomotion, confined ambulation, stationary loading and inactivity representing 51 %, 25 %, 14 % and 10 % of total impulse, respectively. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that in the case presented only 50 % of the load regime during periods of activities could have been estimated using conventional techniques. This technique has the potential to be largely used by clinicians and engineers in the framework of an evidence-based practice.