Individuals who live with limb loss make many choices each day having to do with their mobility. Do I choose to move today or do I simply stay put? Do I use my walker, wheelchair, crutches, or prosthetic device? Or do I hop on my sound side as my primary mode of mobility?

Unfortunately, many younger individuals choose to hop on their sound side unaware of the potential damage they may be doing to the joints. The reasons are simple: it is fast, easy, seemingly painless. There is no need to get into a wheelchair or take the time to put on a prosthetic device. Most think of themselves as invincible. They seldom consider the future consequences to their hip, knee or ankle because of their choice to hop. The potential risks to their sound side joints are real and individuals with limb loss owe it to themselves to learn what they are.

WHY NOT HOP???

As you can imagine, the loss of a limb from amputation affects all the other weight bearing joints in the body. The vector forces of gravity must now be redistributed to the joints of our sound side: hip, knee, ankle and pelvis. This process is even more acute when an individual chooses to hop on their sound side. Now the increased vector forces are being "felt" on one side instead of being equally distributed between two limbs. This added workload to the sound side joints can cause accelerated thinning of the cartilage surfaces which line our joint spaces. The cartilage thinning and resultant bone remodeling create "degenerative arthritis."

We are fortunate today to have a wide variety of options for mobility to avoid the necessity of the "hop." Crutches, walkers, wheelchairs and various prosthetic devices including the LegSim all provide useful, viable options. Each device has its own strengths and weakness. No one device is likely to suit all of an individual's needs. Protecting our joints from premature or accelerated cartilage thinning and damage SHOULD be a major priority of ALL individuals. This is especially true for those who live with limb loss. Physicians, physical therapists and prosthetists all need to discourage patients from "hopping around on one foot."

CONCLUSION

Each and every one of us has choice in our lives. Individuals living with limb loss can choose to hop or use any one of many assist devices to move from point A to point B. The reasons why an individual chooses one device over another are many and personal. They may change from one day to the next. The most important mandate is to protect our joints each day we use them.

KEEP MOVING:  SAFELY, COMFORTABLY AND PRUDENTLY
 

John A. Tata, MD
Medical Director
Hartford Walking Systems, Inc.

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