Transhumeral prosthesis use affects upper body kinematics and kinetics.

Only eight men with transhumeral limb loss and eight controls were studied, so the findings are preliminary and may not apply to women or to a wider population. The study was exploratory, with many comparisons and no stringent correction for false positive results. Controls were collected in a separate laboratory with different motion capture cameras, force plates, and recording frequency. Participants used their own prostheses, and residual arm lengths and prosthesis types varied, but the study was too small to analyze whether those differences affected results. The prosthetic elbow was locked in a self-selected position, so results may not apply to unlocked elbow gait. Overground walking produced short trials, and treadmill steady-state walking was not measured. No women were available from the recruitment source, and women are less likely to use a transhumeral prosthesis.

Do not conclude that wearing a transhumeral prosthesis improves walking speed. The study found upper-body movement differences, but no significant differences in walking speed compared with controls, and the findings were exploratory in a small all-male sample.