Gait of lower limb amputees: Unusual time-course of vertical ground reaction forces of the intact limb.

Background: The impact of an amputation on the intact limb during walking is still unclear. By using vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF), recent reports suggested that not all amputees exhibit the classical M-shape. However, there is no study exploring these "Non-M" strides on both feet.

The missing link: How is the phantom limb influenced by prosthesis wearing in people with lower-limb amputation?

Background: Recent therapeutic and technological solutions aim to improve the daily living of people with limb amputation by considering various aspects of the phantom limb, in particular painless phantom sensations (PS) and voluntary phantom movements (VPM).

Objective: Although previous research has explored these phenomena mostly without considering the prosthesis, this study investigates the influence of prosthesis wearing on painless PS, painful PS, and VPM, in people with lower-limb amputation.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study based on semi-directed interviews.