Development and preliminary evaluation of the VA Seattle foot.

Most mobility aids for physically handicapped individuals seek to restore and improve function that primarily relates to basic lifestyle needs. This is an appropriate priority. With the lower limb amputee, this objective means stable, bipedal standing, and walking on unobstructed level surfaces . These elementary needs should be accomplished with comfort and with reasonable energy output (7, 19) . Presently available lower limb prostheses effectively satisfy these needs in most instances. However, as the mobility demands of an individual with amputation expand, conventional prostheses in general perform Poorly. This circumstance is most evident whe amputee attempts to run . Incremental inch in speed through fast walking, jogging running rapidly cause gait alterations in whu 9 with increasing speed, the unilateral amputee spends less and less time and weight on the deficient limb, which results in the sound limb largely propelling the body through the gait cycle. This, resulting high-energy consuming, uncomfortable, unstable, and unsightly gait pattern is thus generally avoided . Very few bilateral leg amputees are able to run . For these reasons