CONTROL OF THE RESIDUAL TIBIA IN TRANSTIBIAL AMPUTATION

Eight transtibial amputees had localized unremitting discomfort and pa in in the distal anterior residual limb during prosthetic wear while w eightbearing. Modification of the prosthetic socket did not change thi s pain. It was not consistent with ''phantom limb'' or causalgia/refle x sympathetic dystrophy-type etiologies. Thirteen randomly selected, p ain-free, transtibial amputees were selected for comparison, The subje cts in both groups used similar total-contact, ''patellar tendon-beari ng'' prosthetic sockets fabricated and aligned with similar technique, The angles formed between the femur and tibia, femur and prosthetic s ocket, and tibia and socket were measured, Significant differences wer e found at each angle measurement between those patients who experienc ed pain and those who did not, The variable of tibia length had no eff ect, We conclude that bone alignment within the transtibial total-cont act prosthetic socket may be partially dependent on surgical technique and not solely on prosthetic socket configuration.