Performance evaluation of an amputee-prosthesis system in below-knee amputees.

A study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of an amputee-prosthesis system in a group of ten below-knee amputees fitted with patellar tendon-bearing prostheses. The subjects had fulfilled the necessary clinical and prosthetic criteria for their discharge from the care of the Rehabilitation Centre to resume their domestic and occupational activities. Pulmonary ventilation, oxygen consumption, energy expenditure and peak heart rate were measured during the rehabilitees' performance of four types of standard physical activities and one standard exercise tolerance test. Similar data were collected from a group of sixteen normal subjects while performing the same series of tests. Statistical tests for difference between the two groups of subjects showed significant differences in the above parameters for the walking on the level and stair climbing activities. From the data it was concluded that although the degree of rehabilitation was satisfactory in the amputees, there is a definite necessity for inc...