The designs of running-specific prostheses influence center of pressure paths and ground reaction forces at sprinting

Abstract

There are various designs in running-specific prostheses (RSP), and the shape of the RSP load-displacement curve differs by its design. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the design of RSP to center of pressure (COP) and ground reaction force (GRF) of prosthetic leg at transfemoral athlete’s sprinting. Four types of RSP were used for this study. These load-displacement curves were measured by compression testing machine. Using the motion capture system, the COP and GRF of one transfemoral amputee athlete at sprinting for each RSP were recorded. Depending on the design, two different load displacement curves were confirmed: one was linear curve with L-RSP, the others were non-linear curves with NL-RSP, which became stiffer at larger deformation. Compared with NL-RSP, a small posterior movement of COP and large anterior and vertical GRF were confirmed with L-RSP. These results suggest that L-RSP enable transfemoral amputee to propel easier and it is suitable for sprinting.