Vertical stiffness during maximal sprinting in a transfemoral amputee: a case study

Running-specific prostheses emulate the spring-like behaviour of biological limbs during human running, but little is known about the spring-like leg functions in transfemoral amputees. Understanding of running mechanics is expected to benefit the design of prostheses and to prevent injuries. The purpose of this study was to clarify the spring-like behaviour of sprinters with transfemoral amputations using running specific prosthesis. The vertical stiffness was calculated using a spring-mass model. The vertical stiffness in prosthetic limbs tends to be greater than in intact limbs for transfemoral amputees.