Prosthetic Essay

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The fundamental purpose of a prosthetic device is to resemble the function of a biological system. In the case of the human lower limb, it is desired to restore a functional and stable gait pattern (Schaarschmidt et al., 2012). In patients with a transfemoral amputation, there are multiple different types of prosthetic knees available. Individuals must rely on transfemoral prosthetic design features, compensatory gait adjustments, and remaining hip muscles to ensure stability (Burnfield, 2012). However, the residual hip muscles are often compromised by the amputation. The intact limb muscles also must adjust to the needs of the prosthetic gait. Prosthetics include two types, non-microprocessor controlled and microprocessor-controlled (computerized) prosthetic knee.
In contrast to non-microprocessor controlled prosthetic knees, microprocessor controlled prosthetic knees are capable of adjusting to user and environmental changes (Burnfield, 2012). This may result in a more natural and stable gait. Several studies investigated whether a transition from a non-microprocessor controlled to a microprocessor controlled prosthetic knee, such as the …show more content…

The literature also addressed the two types of prosthetics as c-leg or microprocessor prosthetics compared to passive or socket-design prosthetics. All final selections focused on the examination of biomechanical advantages including standing posture and gait as an outcome. Exclusion criteria eliminated articles that involved patients 18 years old or younger as well as those with transtibial amputations. Studies that compared the most recent development of two different manufacturers of computerized prosthetics were excluded. Outcome variables not related to gait, such as cognitive performance, were also considered an exclusion

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