A DEVICE FOR LONG-TERM AMBULATORY MONITORING IN TRANS-TIBIAL AMPUTEES

Long term monitoring of walking in trans-tibial amputees (TTA) is cons idered important for prosthetic prescription and therapy evaluation. T he purpose of this study was to develop a device with the following de sign criteria: Lightweight, easy attachment to the prosthesis, energy and memory capacity for five days and practical in clinical use. The p rototype (CAMP: Continuous Ambulatory Monitoring of Prosthetic walking ) consists of a cylindrical unit containing an accelerometer, a miniat ure computer and six batteries. Specifications, data acquisition and p rocessing, instructions for users and first results are presented and discussed. The CAMP prototype proved to be a useful device for measuri ng relevant aspects of prosthetic use for up to five days.