Effects of Pin and Vacuum Assisted Suspension Systems

Baskent University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Artificial Limbs; Amputees; Prosthesis User

Treatments: Other: Vacuum-Assisted Suspension System (a prosthetic suspension system); Other: Pin Suspension System (a prosthetic suspension system)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04155762

GO 15/123

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study was performed to determine the presence of any difference between Pin Suspension (PS) and Active Vacuum Suspension (AVS) on walking capacity, functional mobility, weight bearing in the prosthetic side, prosthetic satisfaction and body image were evaluated. Nine patients who don't have an obstacle to both socket applications in terms of stump height, type and edema were evaluated in this study. Both suspension systems were administered to the patients included in the study. First, amputees have used PS for 3 months following alignment of the prosthesis and training period. Then again they used AVS for 3 months following alignment of the prosthesis and training period. For each system, after adapting prosthesis 'LASAR posture' was used to evaluate weight bearing on the prosthetic side, '6 Minute Walk Test' for walking capacity, 'Time Up and Go' test for functional mobility, 'Prosthetic Satisfaction Index' for prosthetic satisfaction and 'Amputee Body Image Scale' for body. There were statistically significant difference between PS and AVS in terms of prosthetic side weight bearing percentage, walking capacity, functional mobility and prosthetic satisfaction (p<0.05), in favor of AVS. There were not statistically significant difference between the body image scores (p>0.05). From the view of function and prosthetic satisfaction, AVS was found to be more effective in transtibial amputees. It is believed that our study will be a guide to the future studies including higher number of amputees, different amputation levels and different suspension systems.

Enrollment: 9 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being able to walk without the use of any assistive device,
• Having normal range of motion in the hip and knee at the amputated side.

Exclusion criteria

• Having any disadvantage about prosthetic device usage in terms of stump length, shape and edema,
• Having movement limitation,
• Having any discomfort or health problem (cardiopulmonary, neurological or orthopedic problems) that may affect gait other than amputation,
• Having multiple extremity loss.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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9 participants in 1 patient group

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Both suspension systems were applied consecutively to the participants. Initially, participants used the Pin Suspension System (PSS) for three months following fabrication and adjustment of the prosthesis, and a prosthetic training period. They then employed the Vacuum-Assisted Suspension System (VASS) for three months after a similar training period.

Treatment:

Other: Vacuum-Assisted Suspension System (a prosthetic suspension system)

Other: Pin Suspension System (a prosthetic suspension system)