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Description

Lower limb prosthesis users (LLPUs) often feel less confident walking in their day-to-day lives. Even with rehabilitation, some individuals do not develop the skills and confidence needed to walk across different terrains. Walking practice on varied terrains may be a method for increasing skill and confidence. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of implementing an uneven terrain training program for LLPUs. Three LLPUs completed a series of 12 training sessions on an uneven terrain treadmill. Participants walked for up to 12 trials per session with each bout lasting up to 2 minutes. The terrain increased in difficulty every three sessions by deepening the contours (8mm, 16mm, 24mm, 32mm, and 40mm). For safety, participants wore a harness and had bilateral handrails. Outcome measures administered before and after the training included the L-Test, Four-Square Step Test, Two-Minute Walk Test, and Single Leg Stance Test. Acceptability was assessed via participant feedback after the training. All participants attended all 12 training sessions and completed 10-12 walking bouts per session. Post-training, participants showed no change in outcome measures, however, participants expressed that they would recommend this training to other LLPUs, and participating in this study was a positive experience. Factors such as motivation, confidence, and time commitment potentially influence efficacy and feasibility. These preliminary results suggest that training on uneven terrain is feasible and acceptable for LLPUs. Data collection is still ongoing in order to better understand the impact of this type of training on walking skills and confidence for LLPUs.

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Publication Date

Fall 11-21-2025

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Keywords

Lower limb prosthesis users; Rehabilitation; Feasibility; Gait; Training; Acceptability

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Physical Therapy | Rehabilitation and Therapy

File Format

PDF

File Size

1700 KB

Permissions

Google Drive\Institutional Repository\OUR_OfficeOfUGResearch\Symposia\2025 Fall Symposium

Comments

Mentor: Jenny Kent

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Uneven Terrain Gait Training in Lower Limb Prosthesis Users


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