Vibrotactile evaluation: Osseointegrated versus socket-suspendedtransfemoral prostheses

摘要

This study investigated detection thresholds ofvibrometric stimuli in patients with transfemoral amputationsupplied with osseointegrated (OI) and socketsuspended prostheses.It included 17 patients tested preoperatively withsocketsuspended prostheses and after 2 yr with OI prosthesesand a control group (n = 17) using socketsuspended prostheses,evaluated once. Assessments on the prosthetic and intactfeet were conducted at six frequencies (8, 16, 32, 64, 125, and250 Hz). Furthermore, measurements were conducted to investigatehow vibrometric signals are transmitted through a testprosthesis. The results showed that the OI group had improvedability to detect vibrations through the prosthesis at 125 Hz (p =0.01) at followup compared with the preoperative measurement.Compared with the control group, the OI group at followuphad better ability to detect high frequency vibrationsthrough the prosthesis (125 Hz, p = 0.02; 250 Hz, p = 0.03).The vibrometric signal transmitted through the test prosthesiswas reduced at 8, 125, and 250 Hz but was amplified at 16, 32,and 64 Hz. Differences between the OI and the control groupswere found in the highest frequencies in which the test prosthesisshowed reduction of the vibrometric signal. The study providesinsight into the mechanisms of vibration transmissionbetween the exterior and boneanchored as well as socketsuspendedamputation prostheses.