Evaluation of activity and function before and immediately after the provision of a microprocessor knee in individuals with transfemoral amputation.
Silvia Caggiari, Tim Randell, Chantel Ostler and 2 others
PMID 40202401WHAT IT FOUND
Objective daily activity did not show clear improvement after provision of a microprocessor knee and prosthetic foot.
Patients reported better balance confidence, satisfaction and community reintegration, and walked farther on a clinic walk test.
Key findings
01Objective activity monitoring showed no statistically significant change in any activity-based parameter after provision of a microprocessor knee and prosthetic foot.
02Patient-reported balance confidence, community reintegration, prosthesis evaluation questionnaire scores and 2MWT distance all increased with statistical significance after provision of a microprocessor knee and prosthetic foot.
03TUG did not change significantly, with mean values 29.8 before and 28.9 after provision of a microprocessor knee and prosthetic foot.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 14 of the 29 recruited participants were analysed because 11 did not have follow-up visits during COVID-19 restrictions. The trial period was 4 weeks, and participants were still learning to use the microprocessor knee. The study had no separate control group; each person served as their own before and after comparison. The microprocessor knee was fitted with a prosthetic foot, and not all participants used the same knee, foot, or suspension method. Patient-reported measures were collected as part of routine care, so participants may have been biased toward the microprocessor knee to secure its use. Activity monitoring showed high variability and limited mean differences, and it may not be sensitive enough to detect short-term functional change. Participants were eligible for an NHS microprocessor knee trial and were community ambulators, so findings may not apply to people with lower mobility.
Declared interests
The work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the microprocessor knee alone increases daily activity or caused the improvements. The knee was fitted with a prosthetic foot, the trial was only 4 weeks, and objective activity did not change significantly.