The study was designed to establish a biomechanical assessment platform for the lower limb residuum/socket interface as a function of duration and speed of movement. The approach exploits an interface sensor which measures multi-directional stresses at the interface. The corresponding interface coupling motion was assessed using a 3D motion capture system. A longitudinal study, involving a trans-femoral amputee, was conducted with nine repeated level walking sessions over a 12-month period. The effect of walking speed on interface biomechanics was also assessed. Interface peak pressures and shear stresses in the range of 55-59 kPa and 12-19 kPa were measured, respectively, over all sessions in the 12 months study period at the posterior-proximal location of the residuum. The peak pressure and longitudinal shear values were found to fluctuate approximately 11% and 40% as against its maximum value, respectively, over 12 months. In addition, up to 12° of angular coupling and up to 28 mm of pistoning were recorded over a gait cycle, which was found to change by 29% and 45% respectively over the study period. The variation in walking speed, by altering self-selected cadence, resulted in changes of pressure and shear stresses at mid-stance of the gait cycle. In particular, as compared with self-selected cadence, for fast speed, peak pressure and peak longitudinal shear stress decreased by 5% and 33%, respectively. For slow speed, peak pressure and peak longitudinal shear stress increased by 7% and 17%, respectively. The corresponding angular and pistoning revealed a variation of up to 29% and 45%, respectively. This biomechanical assessment approach shows promise in the quantitative assessment of interface kinematics and kinetics for lower limb prosthetics, the usage of which could assist the clinical assessment of prosthetic socket fit.
Keywords: Lower limb amputee; interface coupling; interface stresses; longitudinal; walking speed.