Output details

Is hip muscle strength the key to walking as a bilateral amputee, whatever the level of the amputations?

Active dorsiflexion of the ankle is an important requirement in providing forward propulsion during normal gait. People with bilateral lower limb amputations lack this ability to actively dorsiflex the ankle, and it has been proposed that muscle activity in the hip compensates for loss of ankle function. Hip muscle torques were measured in amputees and controls; torques were decreased in amputees, with a relationship between hip muscle torque and walking ability in amputees. It is proposed that exercises increasing hip muscle strength could increase mobility in amputees. I made a substantial contribution to the conception and design of the study.