Quantitative Assessment of Postural Stability and Balance Between Persons with Lower Limb Amputation and Normal Subjects by using Dynamic Posturography

摘要

Quantitative Assessment of Postural Stability and Balance Between Persons with Lower Limb Amputation and Normal Subjects by using Dynamic PosturographyBackground. The amputation of lower limb constitutes a major handicap which involves a functional and professional incapacity. Balance has been reported to be a better predictor of an individual's engagement in physical, daily, and social activities among persons with amputations.Aim. To study quantitatively the postural stability between persons with amputation and normal subjects by using dynamic posturography. Also, to determine whether differences in balance confidence exist between persons with amputations due to trauma or vascular causes, as well as between below knee (BK) or above knee (AK) amputations.Subjects and Methods. Twenty one patients with lower limb amputations who were ambulant with prostheses and 20 age-matched healthy individuals as control group were be randomly selected. The patients with BK and AK amputations due to trauma and vascular causes were included. All subjects were clinically evaluated along with brief neurological examination. The postural stability and balance were studied by using computerized dynamic posturography.Results. A significant reduction was observed for composite equilibrium score of persons with amputation as compared with control group (p 0.05).Conclusion. Our data suggest that lower limb persons with amputation have low balance confidence compared to normal subjects and the balance is lower among individuals who had amputations due to vascular causes than trauma causes. This may be explained by impairment due to amputation as well as reduction of muscle strength and endurance in residual limb.