Patient preference and gait efficiency in a geriatric population with transfemoral amputation using a free-swinging versus a locked prosthetic knee joint.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate patient preference, walking speed, and prosthetic use in a geriatric population with transfemoral amputation using a free-swinging prosthetic knee or a locked knee joint.


METHODS
Before-after trial.


METHODS
Ambulatory patients at an amputee rehabilitation facility.


METHODS
A convenience sample of 14 geriatric individuals with a unilateral dysvascular transfemoral amputation (age range, 61-80y), who were using a prosthesis with a free-swinging knee in the community, 3 months after discharge from an amputee rehabilitation program.


METHODS
Change from a free-swinging knee to a locked knee.


METHODS
Patient preference, distance walked in 2 minutes, and prosthetic use as measured by the Houghton Scale.


RESULTS
Eleven of 14 participants preferred the locked knee. Irrespective of preference, the mean 2-minute walk distance was 44.9 +/- 28.9m with the free-swinging knee and 54.4 +/- 35m with the locked knee (P = .001). Prosthetic use was greater with the locked knee (7.8 +/- 2.2) than with the free-swinging knee (6.6 +/- 2.5) (P = .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Most geriatric participants with transfemoral amputation preferred locked knees and walked faster and used their prostheses more when using a locked knee prosthesis.
Devlin
Michael
M
Division of Physiatry, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. mdevlin@westpark.org
Sinclair
Lynne B
LB
Colman
Deborah
D
Parsons
Janet
J
Nizio
Henry
H
Campbell
Janet E
JE
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001186:Artificial Limbs; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric