Passive prostheses are able to dissipate limited amounts of energy using resistive damper systems during “negative energy” tasks like sit-down. Consequently, users are forced to over-compensate with their upper body, residual hip, and intact leg. In contrast, powered prosthetic joints are controlled by motors, which can produce higher levels of resistance at a larger range of joint positions than passive damper systems. In this study, we found that a powered knee-ankle prosthesis significantly improved weight-bearing symmetry during sit-down compared to passive prostheses. However, we did not observe a corresponding decrease in intact-limb muscle effort. These results indicate that powered prosthetic devices have the potential to improve balance during sit-down for individuals with above-knee amputation and provide insight for future development of powered prosthetics. The manuscript is freely available at this link: Can a powered knee-ankle prosthesis improve weight-bearing symmetry during stand-to-sit transitions in individuals with above-knee amputations? | Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
