| A new prosthetic foot design, created by the Niagara Prosthetics and Orthotics company (NPO), was brought to Queen's University, for the clinical testing. A comparison study with the Stationary Ankle Flexible Endoskeleton foot (SAFE) was used to determine if there were differences in the gait pattern while wearing the NPO foot and whether these differences would be problematic. Five below knee amputees volunteered to attend two testing sessions at the gait laboratory in Kingston General Hospital. Prior to the first session they were fitted with a SAFE prosthetic foot. Prior to the second visit they were fitted with the new NPO prosthetic foot. All fittings were performed by the same prosthetist.;The two prosthetic feet were compared in four main categories: time distance parameters, gait curve patterns, gait curve parameters, and a subjective questionnaire. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
