An Insight into the acceptable use and assessment of lower-limb running prostheses in disability sport.

Abstract

Sports technology can be any product or system used to facilitate, train or influence an athlete’s performance. The role of prostheses used for disability sport was initially to help facilitate exercise and then ultimately, competition. In able-bodied sport, controversy has occasionally been caused through the adoption or introduction of sports technology. However, scant attention has been paid to sport with a disability with respect to such concerns. This research project provides a novel contribution to knowledge by investigating the use of lower-limb running prostheses in competition by trans-tibial amputees. A novel study using a mixed method approach has investigated the nature, use and assessment of lower-limb running prostheses. It has proposed that the unchecked introduction of such technology has affected the sport negatively. From this, the study conducted a stakeholder assessment of the sport and provided a proposed series of guidelines for lower-limb prostheses technology inclusion. Finally, the recommendation was made that a proactive approach to such technologies’ inclusion in the future should be implemented. These guidelines were further developed by assessing symmetrical and nonsymmetrical lower-limb function and proposed that single and double lowerlimb amputees should be separated in competition in the future. To this end, it was proposed that lower-limb symmetry, stiffness and energy return were important means of monitoring prosthesis performance. Ultimately, a dynamic technique which assesses these qualities was proposed as an assessment strategy for further development in the future.