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SLOPE DESCENT. CANADIAN PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS JOURNAL, VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2, 2018; ABSTRACT, POSTER PRESENTATION AT THE AOPA’S 101ST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, 
SEPT. 26-29, VANCOUVER, CANADA, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v1i2.32012                                                                  

 

1 

 
OPEN  ACCESS 

 

AOPA’S 101 ST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ABSTRACTS, SEPTEMBER 26-29, VANCOUVER, CANADA, 2018 
 

ABSTRACT (POSTER PRESENTATION) 

BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT PROSTHETIC TECHNOLOGIES FOR 

TRANS-FEMORAL AMPUTEES DURING SLOPE DESCENT 

Nadine Stech*1, Michael McGrath1, Piotr Laszczak1, Alan Kercher2, Saeed Zahedi1, David Moser1 

1Endolite Technology Centre, Basingstoke, UK  
2Endolite North America, Miamisburg, OH, USA 
* Email: nadine.stech@blatchford.co.uk 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v1i2.32012  

 

INTRODUCTION 

 Lower limb amputees have different biomechanics to 

able-bodied people when walking on slopes1,2, often 

struggling to negotiate different gradients safely. Loss of 

proprioception and muscular control contributes to this 

issue, which is a particular problem for trans-femoral 

amputees, where both ankle and knee joints are absent. 

Studies have shown that prosthetic technologies can have 

benefits for slope negotiation. The aim of this study was 

to isolate the specific effects of different trans-femoral 

prosthetic technologies, by applying each additional 

mechanism incrementally. 

METHODS 

Four prosthetic conditions were tested in a randomised 

order:  

(1) A rigid ankle, ESR foot (Esprit, Endolite – RA) 

(2) A hydraulic ankle-foot with constant resistances 

to PF and DF (HA) 

(3) A microprocessor-controlled hydraulic ankle-

foot (Elan, Endolite – MPF) that varied 

resistances to PF and DF 

(4) A microprocessor-controlled, integrated limb 

system (Linx, Endolite – MPL) that both varied 

resistances to PF and DF at the ‘ankle’ and 

applied a yielding support at the prosthetic knee 

during step-to-step transition. 

For the cohort of trans-femoral amputees, a gait analysis 

motion capture system and a slope-integrated force plate 

were used to measure kinematic and kinetic parameters 

as the participant walked down a 5° slope at their 

comfortable walking speed. A 5° slope was selected as 

this aligns with the ADA regulations regarding disability 

access ramps – a common real-life environmental barrier.  

RESULTS 

Each incremental change in technology showed distinct 

biomechanical effects on the gait of the user. The 

transition from RA to HA showed a better foot 

compliance with the ground, reducing the time taken to 

achieve foot flat and a smoother progression of the shank  

segment with HA. With the MPF, the transition from DF 

to PF ‘ankle’ moment occurred earlier, implying a 

smaller resistance to PF movement, further enhancing 

ground compliance, and a greater resistance to DF 

movement, implying a ‘braking’ action to control shank 

rotation. Further to just the MPF, the MPL introduced 

yielding at the knee during late stance phase, which was 

evident in the kinematic and kinetic knee joint curves. 

The rate of flexion in late stance was reduced, absorbing 

less joint power, allowing for a controlled transition of 

body mass from the prosthetic limb to the sound limb. 

 

Figure 1: (TOP) ankle moment curves showing the effect of 

MPF (blue) compared to HA (black) and (BOTTOM) knee 

power curves showing the effect of MPL with knee yielding 

(green) compared to MPF only (blue). 

mailto:nadine.stech@blatchford.co.uk
https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v1i2.32012


 

 

 Stech N, McGrath M, Laszczak P, Kercher A, Zahedi S, Moser D. BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT PROSTHETIC TECHNOLOGIES FOR TRANS-FEMORAL AMPUTEES DURING 
SLOPE DESCENT. CANADIAN PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS JOURNAL, VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2, 2018; ABSTRACT, POSTER PRESENTATION AT THE AOPA’S 101ST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, 
SEPT. 26-29, VANCOUVER, CANADA, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v1i2.32012                                                                  

 

2 

 
OPEN  ACCESS 

 

AOPA’S 101 ST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ABSTRACTS, SEPTEMBER 26-29, VANCOUVER, CANADA, 2018 
 

ABSTRACT (POSTER PRESENTATION) 

CONCLUSION 

This study isolated the individual effects of incremental 

increases in technologies design to aid ramp negotiation 

for trans-femoral amputees. These technologies have 

been shown to provide greater bodyweight support by 

replicating natural muscular control at the prosthetic 

‘ankle’ and knee joints. 

SIGNIFICANCE 

Advanced prosthetic technology can provide benefits for 

trans-femoral amputees when negotiating slopes. 

Understanding these effects helps to make informed 

prescriptions. 

REFERENCES 

1.Vickers et al. Elderly unilateral transtibial amputee gait on 

an inclined walkway: a biomechanical analysis. Gait Posture. 

2008;27(3):518–529. DOI:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2007.06.008 

2.Vrieling et al. Uphill and downhill walking in unilateral 

lower limb amputees. Gait Posture. 2008;28(2):235–242. 

DOI:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2007.12.006 

3. Struchkov V, Buckley JG. Biomechanics of ramp descent in 

unilateral trans-tibial amputees: Comparison of a 

microprocessor controlled foot with conventional ankle-foot 

mechanisms. Clin Biomech. 2016;32:164–170. 

DOI:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2015.11.015 

4.Highsmith et al. Ramp descent performance with the C-Leg 

and interrater reliability of the Hill Assessment Index. Prosthet 

Orthot Int. 2013;37(5):362-8. DOI: 

10.1177/0309364612470482 

DISCLOSURE 

The Authors are employees of Endolite North America or 

Blatchford (the parent company of Endolite North America); 

the manufacturer of the prosthetic devices used in this study. 

 

 

 

 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2007.06.008
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2007.12.006
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2015.11.015
https://doi.org/10.1177/0309364612470482

