Factors leading to falls in transfemoral prosthesis users: a case series of sound-side stumble recovery responses.
Maura E Eveld, Shane T King, Karl E Zelik and 1 others
PMID 36151561WHAT IT FOUND
Fifteen of 26 sound-side stumbles resulted in falls in six transfemoral prosthesis users.
Five of six fell during mid swing stumbles, and the two oldest fell every time. Knee type did not separate outcomes.
Key findings
01Fifteen of 26 sound-side stumbles resulted in falls.
02Five of six participants fell during mid swing stumbles, and the two oldest participants fell after every perturbation.
03Microprocessor knee type did not relate to strategy or fall outcomes, and both knee types showed similar deficits in initiating or completing the prosthetic-side step.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Six participants make this a descriptive case series, not a test of whether a treatment prevents falls. Only sound-side stumbles are reported here, and prosthetic-side responses are in a separate paper. The sample included four microprocessor knee users and two non-microprocessor knee users, so knee type cannot be compared reliably. Healthy comparison data were not exactly speed-matched. Participants knew they would receive perturbations, although randomization and distraction were used. Rest between trials was not standardized, so fatigue may have affected responses.
Declared interests
The supplied text names National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation as funders. It does not provide a separate conflicts of interest statement.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that a specific prosthetic knee prevents falls. The study found no clear relationship between microprocessor knee type and fall outcomes, and it was a case series of six users, not a treatment trial.