What can normal gait biomechanics teach a designer of lower limb prostheses

Compensating a limb loss with prosthesis is a challenging task due to complexity of the human body which cannot be fully matched by the available technical means. Designer of lower limb prostheses wants to know what specification of the device could provide the best approximation to the normal locomotion. Deep understanding of the latter is essential, and gait analysis may be a valuable tool for this. Once prosthesis is built, gait analysis may help in comparing the wearer’s performance with the new device and with the prior art, and in verification of the hypotheses being put forward during the development process. In this lecture, we will discuss some synergies of normal gait. We will focus on the required biomechanical properties of a prosthetic leg that can allow the prosthesis’s inclusion in normal gait synergy without demanding excessive compensatory movements. We will consider contribution of leg joints to generation of propulsion for adequate design of lower limb prostheses especially those with power supply.