Changes in the cross-sectional area of the residual limb of transfemoral amputees before and after prosthetic gait training

Abstract

Although it has been reported that the residual limb after lower limb amputation changes greatly in shape and volume from post-operation to around 12-18 months later, studies on detailed changes in soft tissue are scarce. Therefore, the change in muscle tissue of the residual transfemoral (TF) limb before and after prosthetic gait training was investigated from the viewpoint of the muscle cross-sectional area (MCA) of the residual limb. For 4 unilateral TF amputees, magnetic resonance images of the residual limb were acquired before and after prosthetic gait training, and the MCA under the ischial tuberosity was calculated. The results showed that the percentage of MCA as the total cross-sectional area was increased in all subjects. The percentage of the muscle cross-sectional area changed according to the motion direction around the hip joint. The flexor and abductor muscle group tended to atrophy, and the cross-sectional area of the adductor muscle group and the extensor muscle group tended to increase.