The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of skill acquisition on the energy cost of walking with a transfemoral prosthetic simulator in healthy, young individuals and to detect possible underlying changes in gait pattern and muscle activity.
Ten able-bodied subjects learned to walk with a prosthetic simulator during five days. The effect of skill acquisition on the energy cost, gait parameters and leg muscles activation was measured during treadmill walking at self-selected and fixed speed prior to, after one and after four practice sessions.
The participants significantly increased their walking skills. Skill acquisition significantly reduced the energy cost of walking with the prosthesis at a self-selected speed by 38 % and at a fixed speed by 14%. After practice, the participants walked with significant longer and more symmetric step lengths and less step variability. The EMG analysis showed significant changes in the muscle activity of the non-prosthetic leg.
Skill acquisition has an important effect on the energy cost of walking with a prosthesis. Next to changes in walking speed, the changes in gait parameters suggest that the reduction in energy cost might be related to an increase in gait stability, which may require less muscle activation in the non-prosthetic leg.
The findings of this study offer insight into skill acquisition as an important factor affecting the energy cost of prosthetic gait. Further investigations are required to evaluate the long-term effect of skill acquisition on the energy cost of prosthetic gait, to specify the practice sessions and to examine the effect in the target population.
prosthetic gait
energy cost
