The weakness of stump musculature is one of the causes of abnormal prosthetic gaits. The purpose of this study was to determine the strength of hip joint musculature and the factors influencing gait speed for both unilateral above-knee amputees
and
healthy males in order to provide guidelines for the rehabilitation of amputees.
One group of twenty normal, untrained healthy males and a second group of 11 traumatic unilateral above-knee male amputees with no significant intergroup difference in age, weight and height, participated in the study.
An isokinetic test of hip adductors, abductors flexors, and extensors was performed at an angular velocity of 30°/sec, using an isokinetic dynamometer, Cybex 340. And the comfortable and fast gait time for walking 10 meters, stump and thigh
length, and
the ratio of weight to maximal leaning weight, were measured.
The ratio of weight to maximal leaning weight was 86.4% in normals, 85.9% on the sound side of amputees, and 70.2% on amputated side of amputees. All showed a significant difference. In amputees, the peak isokinetic torque values for hip
musculature
were significantly lower than the normal, but no significant difference in ratios of extensor to flexor strength nor that of abductor to adductor strength was found. Comfortable gait time was 13.4 sec in amputees, 8.2 sec in normals, and the fast
gait
time in amputees was 10.4 see. In the normal, gait times did not have significant correlation with peak torque, thigh length, or the ratio of weight to maximal leaning weight. In the amputee group, however, gait times were found to correlate
significantly with peak torque, stump length, and the ratio of weight to maximal leaning weight.
According to the above results, a strengthening program of bilateral hip joint musculature and balance training can be considered necessary in a rehabilitation program for amputees.
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