Ground Reaction Forces During Walking of Transtibial Amputees Using Statistical Parametric Mapping

The study of ground reaction forces (GRF) in subjects with transtibial amputation (TTA) is of great importance for studying the loading pattern and its potential impact on the development of osteoarthritis. The aim of this paper is to use a novel method called Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM), which allows a statistical analysis of signals, to study GRF. Vertical and anteroposterior GRF from 12 subjects with TTA and 8 healthy subjects were analyzed, divided in three groups: Healthy Limb (HealthyL) of healthy participants and Prosthetic Limb (ProstL) and Sound Limb (SoundL) for the subjects with TTA. Results from SPM analysis showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) among the three groups in the vertical GRF during the loading response. Also, a significant difference was found for the anteroposterior GRF between the ProstL and the SoundL. Additionally, the SPM analysis revealed differences at initial contact, midstance and pre-swing. To conclude, using SPM, differences in GRF were detected in four areas of the stance phase, three of which are not usually reported. Future studies will focus on investigating the mechanisms underlying these differences. Finally, this method could be considered for studying GRF.