Improving Mobility and Function Following Transfemoral Amputation: A Novel Approach to Reverse Volumetric Muscle Loss
University of Illinois at Chicago
Summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between thigh strength and walking ability and assess if using a blood pressure cuff on the leg improves strength and walking performance.
Description
One in every 190 Americans is currently living with the loss of a limb. Following lower limb amputation (LLA), individuals have double the risk of knee and hip pain, a high prevalence of osteoarthritis in the intact limb with a prevalence ratio of 3.3 compared to those without amputation, and up to 90% experience severe back pain. The long-term consequences of LLA may be mitigated through regular use of prosthesis and physical activity, which would also increase the likelihood of returning to work and reintegration of Service Members (SMs) and younger Veterans. Clinicians and researchers ofte…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * At least 18 years old * History of lower limb unilateral transfemoral amputation. * At least two years post lower limb amputation * Able to ambulate independently without the use of aids (i.e., walking cane). * Able to walk at least 10 minutes continuously without stopping. * Has a safe residuum with no open wounds on either the residual or intact limb. * Has a prosthetic limb with materials that are sound and safe to withstand the mobility requirements of the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Younger than 18 years old. * Inability to give informed consent. * Neurological d…
Interventions
- OtherIschemic Preconditioning
A blood pressure cuff will be placed on the thigh of the intact/sound limb to restrict blood flow to the lower extremity for 5 minutes and then deflated for 5 minutes to allow for normal blood flow on a cycle for 50 minutes (5 times).
Location
- UIC Physical Therapy Faculty PracticeChicago, Illinois