Effect of take-off from prosthetic versus intact limb on transtibial amputee long jump technique

Background: Increasing numbers of long jumpers with lower limb amputations choose to take off from their prosthetic limb. It is not yet known what difference in technique, if any, this requires, or which is more advantageous. Objectives: To investigate kinematic differences in long jump technique in athletes with a unilateral transtibial ampution (TT) who take off from their prosthetic limb versus those who take off from their intact limb. Study Design: Naturalistic, field-based, observational; independent group, nonparametric comparison. Methods: Two-dimensional sagittal plane kinematic analysis was performed on all athletes competing in the men's Paralympic TT long jump finals. Five athletes took off from their prosthetic limb (TO_prosth) and five from their intact limb (TO_intact). Results: No differences were seen between the two groups in terms of jump distance, approach speed or vertical velocity at touch down. While in contact with the take-off board, the two groups gained a similar amount of vertical velocity. However, the TO _prosth group appeared to conserve horizontal velocity by using the prosthesis as a 'springboard', minimizing the large hip and knee range of motion displayed by the TO_intact group and athletes in previous studies. Conclusions: While differences in technique were observed, no difference was found for jump distance.