This chapter has several videos of patients using prosthetic limbs. Use these videos to practice observational gait analysis
This patient has a transtibial amputation and is walking with a cross-over foot, which is meant for walking and running. The following video shows the patient walking with the foot.
DISCUSS WITH A PARTNER:
How is his gait with the foot? Should he continue using this foot for walking?
HINT: Use the gait assessment form to identify gait deviations, and determine if the deviations are the result of the prosthesis.
This patient has a unilateral transfemoral amputation and is walking with a microprocessor controlled prosthetic knee. The microprocessor knee is designed to flex and extend during walking. However, the patient's knee is turned off and is unable to flex. The following video shows the patient gait with this knee.
DISCUSS WITH A PARTNER:
What is the most prominent deviation in this patient? What is the effect of this deviation? Should she continue walking with a non-working microprocessor knee or choose a mechanical knee which flexes during gait?
HINT: Use the gait assessment form to identify the gait deviation and review the video of this deviation.
This patient is the typical amputee (textbook case), as he is an older gentleman with diabetes. His initial amputation was due to a diabetic pressure ulcer. After this amputation, he had a sedentary lifestyle and he started smoking. As a result, he became overweight and lost his other limb due to peripheral vascular disease.
DISCUSS WITH A PARTNER:
What are the temporal and spatial gait deviations in this patient? How can these deviations be corrected? In the ideal situation (i.e. without insurance limitations), what would his rehabilitation protocol look like?
Hip disarticulation amputations are very uncommon and are not encountered frequently. What is even more uncommon is to see a hip disarticulation amputee walking with a prosthesis. The patient in the video is walking with a mechanical hip joint, a mechanical knee joint and a non-dynamic response prosthetic foot. The following video shows the patient gait.
What gait deviations can you identify in this patient? How does his gait compare to the gait of a transtibial amputee and a transfemoral amputee?
HINT: Use the gait assessment form to identify gait deviations.