Uneven terrain exacerbates the deficits of a passive prosthesis in the regulation of whole body angular momentum in individuals with a unilateral transtibial amputation.

Only 10 amputation and 10 control participants were analysed, so the findings may not apply to all prosthesis users. 11 amputation participants were recruited, and 1 was excluded because slow treadmill walking produced gait deviations. The uneven-terrain test was short, and participants had limited familiarization, so practice effects could have changed the results. Testing order was not randomized; all participants walked flat terrain before uneven terrain. The study used passive prosthetic feet only, so it does not tell us about powered or microprocessor feet. More amputation participants used handrails, and 3 changed hand position between trials, so sideways and twisting balance were not assessed. Foot-contact timing was estimated from motion capture, not foot switches or accelerometers, which could affect foot-contact values. The control group was shorter and lighter than the amputation group, although values were normalized to body mass, height and speed.

No author conflicts of interest are stated in the supplied text. Publication metadata lists NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.

Do not read this as proof that passive prostheses cause falls or that uneven-terrain training improves balance. The study measured a biomechanical rotational-momentum variable in 10 people with amputation and 10 controls during a short treadmill test, not fall outcomes or clinical recovery.