# Lower limb prostheses for individuals who carry infants, toddlers, and other loads

> **NIH VA I01** · VA PUGET SOUND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · 2021 · —

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY (PUBLIC ABSTRACT)
The natural lower limbs provide important biomechanical functions such as body weight support, forward
propulsion, and balance control during ambulation. When the loads borne by the lower limbs change, lower limb
muscle activation responds accordingly to enable seamless continuation of biomechanical function. These loads
can change suddenly, such as when carrying an infant, toddler, or other load like a heavy backpack. For
individuals with a lower limb amputation, these sudden changes to weight-bearing loads can be problematic
because they can negatively impact walking performance. One reason walking performance may suffer is that
the properties of most prosthetic limbs, such as their stiffness, are constant and do not change to suit varying
load conditions. Another reason is that the most widely prescribed prosthetic feet do not have motors, sensors,
or brain-like controllers that act to replace the neuromuscular system of the amputated limb. Regardless of the
reason, no evidence exists to guide prescription practice for veterans who walk with a prosthesis and experience
sudden load changes.
 The proposed research will use experimental and modeling analyses to create guidance for VA clinicians who
 prescribe prostheses to veterans with a lower limb amputation who frequently carry infants, toddlers or other
 loads. Our proposed research has two specific aims:
 Specific Aim 1: Identify the prosthetic foot that results in improved walking performance when veterans
with lower limb amputation carry infants, toddlers, or other loads. We propose to conduct a human subject
experiment with help of fifteen individuals with below-knee amputations. Study participants will walk on a
treadmill with no added load and four added load conditions using a weighted pack (13.6 kg or ~30 lbs) to
simulate an infant, toddler, or other load. The four conditions include the pack strapped to their front, their back,
and carried with their arms on the intact limb side and the prosthetic limb side. Each participant will wear a usual
prosthetic foot, this same foot with a heel-stiffening wedge, the same prosthetic foot but one category stiffness
higher, a new-to-market dual keel prosthetic foot intended for load carrying situations, and a powered ankle foot
prosthesis. The results from these experiments will aid VA clinicians in specifying the best prosthesis for
veterans with lower limb amputations who frequently carry infants, toddlers, or other loads.
Specific Aim 2: Identify the sensitivity of muscle contributions to specific biomechanical quantities in
 response to the different stiffness and loading conditions. We propose to use advanced modeling and
simulation analyses to identify how foot stiffness influences individual muscle contributions to specific
biomechanical quantities including body weight support, forward propulsion, balance control, energy
 expenditure, and joint loading for the different loading conditions examined in Aim...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10329883
- **Project number:** 5I01RX003138-03
- **Recipient organization:** VA PUGET SOUND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Glenn Klute
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-10-01 → 2022-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10329883

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10329883, Lower limb prostheses for individuals who carry infants, toddlers, and other loads (5I01RX003138-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10329883. Licensed CC0.

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