Abstract
This paper reports a comparison of the gait patterns of trans-femoral amputees using a single-axis prosthetic knee that coordinates ankle and knee flexions (Proteor's Hydracadence® system) with the gait patterns of patients using other knee joints without a knee–ankle link and the gait patterns of individuals with normal gait. The two patient groups were composed of 11 male trans-femoral amputees: six patients had the Hydracadence® joint (Group 1) and five patients had other prosthetic knees (Group 2). The reference group was made up of 23 normal volunteers (Group 3). In this work, trunk, hip, knee, and ankle 3-D motion was assessed using the VICON® system. Kinetic data were collected by two AMTI® force plates, and the knee moment was calculated via the 3-D equilibrium equations. An original questionnaire was used to assess the participants' activity level and clinical background. The results reveal that, during stance, all knee types guaranteed security. After heel strike, the plantar flexion of the ankle enabled by the Hydracadence® prosthesis seems to increase stability. During swing phase, hip and knee sagittal motion was nearly the same in both Group 1 and Group 2. By contrast, hallux and sole vertical positions were significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2; thus, it seems the link between the ankle joint and the knee joint makes foot clearance easier. No alteration of the lateral bending of the trunk was observed. The protocol proposed in this paper allows a functional comparison between prosthetic components by combining clinical data with objective 3-D kinematic and kinetic information. It might help to determine which prosthetic knees are best for a specific patient.