Improving postural stability among people with lower-limb amputations by tactile sensory substitution.
Lijun Chen, Yanggang Feng, Baojun Chen and 2 others
PMID 34742292WHAT IT FOUND
Vibrotactile feedback on the forearm reduced body sway during quiet standing for people with lower-limb amputations.
The benefit was greatest when visual disturbances were large. The effect appeared immediately without specific training on the device.
Key findings
01Sensory substitution significantly reduced center of pressure excursion in the anteroposterior direction during quiet standing for both amputee and control groups.
02Under visual perturbation, the reduction in body sway provided by the device was more pronounced when the amplitude of the visual disturbance was larger.
03The improvement in postural stability occurred without extensive training, as participants only familiarized themselves with the task on the first day and did not practice with the sensory substitution system before testing.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included a very small number of participants (7 amputees, 8 controls), limiting the generalizability of the findings. The amputee group was relatively young (mean age 40.86 years) and had worn prostheses for many years (mean 15.29 years), which may not represent older adults or recent amputees. The testing was limited to quiet standing in a laboratory setting; the effect on dynamic tasks like walking or navigating real-world obstacles is unknown. The control group's age (mean 23.13 years) was significantly lower than the amputee group, introducing a potential confound in age-related balance differences, although no baseline group differences were found. The study did not assess clinical outcomes such as actual fall rates or confidence in standing.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this device improves walking balance or prevents falls in daily life. The study only measured quiet standing in a lab, and the participants were experienced prosthesis users with no baseline balance deficit compared to controls.