[Functional Rehabilitation After Transfemoral Amputation : Shaft Prosthesis or Endo-exo Prosthesis?]

Background: After transfemoral amputation a prosthesis is required to restore autonomous standing and bipedal locomotion. Attachment of the prosthesis can be achieved either classically via socket suspension with a shaft in the stump or directly via implantation of an intramedullary transcutaneous femoral prosthesis (osseointegrated prosthesis).

Aim: A fully instrumented gait analysis should enable objectification of the anticipated advantages of the EEP with respect to the gait pattern and individual mobility.

Material And Methods: In two patients with a unilateral transfemoral amputation a comprehensive gait analysis was carried out prior to and 6 months (patient 1) or 11 and 20 months (patient 2) after switching from a socket prosthesis to an EEP. This was carried out in the Gait Realtime Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL), a fully instrumented gait laboratory with virtual reality and enables assessment close to the conditions of daily life.

Results: In both cases the gait analysis confirmed the advantages associated with an EEP for the transmission of force to the prosthesis and the accompanying improvement in gait symmetry.