Osseointegrated prostheses improve balance and balance confidence in individuals with unilateral transfemoral limb loss.

BACKGROUND:More than half of patients with lower-limb amputation who use socket prostheses experience at least one fall annually. These falls are primarily attributed to reduced proprioception which negatively affects balance. A promising alternative to socket prostheses are osseointegrated prostheses that involve direct fixation of the prosthetic limb to the residual limb through a bone-anchored implant, yet its effect on balance remains unknown. RESEARCH QUESTION:Do osseointegrated prostheses change static and dynamic balance, as well as patient reported measures of balance confidence, compared to a socket prosthesis? METHODS:A sample of 10 patients with unilateral transfemoral amputation scheduled to undergo prosthesis osseointegration were enrolled (6 F/4 M, BMI: 26.7 ± 2.9 kg/m2, Age: 46.1 ± 6.3 years). Motion capture data during quiet standing (eyes opened and eyes closed) and overground walking at a self-selected speed, and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, were collected before (with socket prosthesis) and 12-months following osseointegration. Postural sway via the center of pressure (COP), variability of spatiotemporal parameters, and ABC scores were compared using a repeated measures design before and after osseointegration. RESULTS:Following prosthesis osseointegration, COP path length and 95 % confidence ellipse area were reduced during quiet standing (d = 0.75, P = 0.09; d = 0.52, P = 0.29, respectively) and the variability of step width and length were reduced during overground walking (d = 0.50, P = 0.06; d = 0.72, P = 0.06, respectively). Furthermore, patients reported significantly improved ABC scores with an osseointegrated prosthesis compared to a socket prosthesis (d = -1.36, P = 0.01). SIGNIFICANCE:Improvements in postural sway, reductions in gait variability, and greater balance confidence indicate that osseointegrated prostheses improve balance for people with unilateral transfemoral amputation.