COMPARISON OF GAIT USING A MULTIFLEX FOOT VERSUS A QUANTUM FOOT IN KNEE DISARTICULATION AMPUTEES

The subjective responses and gait patterns of unilateral knee disartic ulation amputees wearing prostheses fitted first with the Multiflex fo ot and then with the Quantum foot were studied. Nine amputees were inc luded in the trial. A questionnaire asked the amputees about their pre ference for one of the feet.Gait analysis was performed measuring temp oral parameters and goniometry of hips, knees and ankles in the sagitt al and frontal planes. There was a slight preference for the Quantum f oot. Preference seemed not to be related. to physical characteristics of the amputees nor to gait parameters.There were no differences in ga it as far as the temporal factors were concerned. The main differences in the range of motion of the joints were in the frontal plane: the e version-inversion movement of the ankle and the adduction-abduction mo vement of the hip. During walking at comfortable speed with the Multif lex foot the ankle and hip range of motion averaged 2.1 and 3.1 degree s respectively, less than during walking with the Quantum foot.