A Test-Drive Strategy for the Prescription of Prosthetic Feet for People With Leg Amputations

Objective/Hypotheses and Specific Aims: The primary aim of this proposal is to determine whether a PFE can be used to predict foot preference and mobility outcomes with corresponding commercial prosthetic feet in people with a unilateral transtibial amputation (TTA). Secondarily, the investigators aim to determine whether a brief trial of commercial prosthetic feet would be able to similarly predict longer-term foot preference and mobility outcomes with those feet. Study Design: The investigators will use a participant blinded cross-over study with repeated measurements. Participants with TTA will be enrolled at each of the three study sites: two VA sites (Puget Sound and Minneapolis), and one Department of Defense site (Center for the Intrepid). Participants will complete up to 6 visits. After an initial assessment visit, participants will be assigned to the high or low mobility group, and then during visit 2 they will be randomized to use the PFE in three foot modes or the three corresponding actual (commercially available) feet during walking tests in the laboratory. During visit 3 participants will repeat the procedures in the other condition (e.g., PFE if Day 2 included actual feet testing). At the end of visit 3 participants will be fit with one of the actual feet and wear it at home and in the community for approximately two weeks. At visit 4 participants will be fit with the next actual foot and repeat the 2 week use window. The same process will be followed for the final foot at visit 5, and the study foot will be returned at visit 6. Participants' preference, satisfaction and perceived mobility, and functional mobility will be measured and compared across all foot conditions (emulated and actual). After participants complete the procedures detailed above, they may be eligible to be invited to participate in follow-up phone interviews. A subset of participants may also be invited to participate in follow-up biomechanical data collection comparing the PFE f