Running-Specific Prosthesis

The Key for Continued Involvement in Sports for Youth with Lower Leg Amputations

Abstract

Sports help children “develop physical skills that contribute to a lifetime of physical involvement; … learn social and emotional skills; develop moral values; and acquire a better sense of self through increased perceived competence, self-esteem, and self-confidence” (Ewing, Gano-Overway, Branta, & Seefeldt, 2002).  Lower-leg amputations jeopardize children’s ability to continue participating in sports, as it removes a part of the body that is essential for running and sports participation. Running-specific prostheses (RSPs), a type of lower-limb prosthesis, provide a solution to this issue. Compared to daily-use prosthetics, running-specific prosthetics have a higher energy-storage capacity, are more flexible, and are more springy, allowing them to mimic the nature of running biological legs better than daily-use prosthetics. RSPs also have customizations that are specific to the physical traits and activity of an amputee, allowing an amputee to play a plethora of sports. Although children must overcome challenges regarding the change in biomechanics while running with an RSP and accounting for the rapid growth of children, RSPs can provide amputees the opportunity to return to the sports environment.