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Bloorview Research Institute

Scientist Profiles: Featured Article Summary

“Design and Quantitative Evaluation of a Stance-Phase Controlled Prosthetic Knee Joint for Children”

J. Andrysek, S. Naumann, S. Redekop

Prosthetic knee joints have come a long way over the last two decades. Bloorview researcher Jan Andrysek, is pushing the envelope even farther with a new prosthetic knee joint for children. Jan’s prototype combats the common problem of falls - knee joint instability. Unlike other prostheses that require a child to place weight on their foot before stabilizing, Jan’s knee automatically locks when the child extends their leg. And unlike the competition, his knee is shorter so it fits proportionally with a young child’s leg. Six kids aged 7 to 13 years participated in his study. Each was fitted with a prototype prosthetic knee joint and all were asked to complete a survey based on their opinions of the device. The prototype was a success! All the kids reported greater stability with the new knee joint and given the opportunity to keep their prototype, five of the six children decided to continue using it.