Foot and Ankle Surgery
Volume 14, Issue 3 , Pages 125-129, 2008

Carbon fibre prostheses and running in amputees: A review

  • Lee Nolan, Ph.D

      Affiliations

    • Laboratory for Biomechanics and Motor Control, Karolinska Institutet and The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, Box 5626, 114 86 Stockholm, Sweden
    • Department for Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence address: Laboratory for Biomechanics and Motor Control, Karolinska Institutet and The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, Box 5626, 114 86 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel.: +46 8 402 22 57; fax: +46 8 402 22 87.

published online 14 July 2008.

Abstract 

Amputee sport performance has greatly improved over the past 20 years along with the development of carbon fibre prostheses. As the margins between winning and losing become smaller, athletes increasingly rely on prosthetic limb technology to give them an edge over other competitors and break existing records. Originally, the aim of improving prostheses was to try to increase performance by reducing the functional disadvantage of the prosthetic foot compared to the human foot. However, claims have been made recently that not only have the functional disadvantages been redressed, but today's sprint prostheses may provide a mechanical advantage over the human limb. This review will present what is currently known about carbon fibre prostheses and their effect on the running technique of transtibial amputees.

Keywords: Amputee sport, Carbon fibre prostheses, Foot, Running, Sprinting

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S1268-7731(08)00067-2

doi:10.1016/j.fas.2008.05.007

Foot and Ankle Surgery
Volume 14, Issue 3 , Pages 125-129, 2008

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution