JMMBS Manuscript | Prosthetic Gait Asymmetry

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Prosthetic Gait Asymmetry: Long-Term Orthopedic Consequences for the Intact Limb

Authors and Affiliations

Dr. Neeraj Mehta, PhD MMSx Authority Institute for Movement Mechanics & Biomechanics Research, Powell, Ohio, USA.

0000-0001-6200-8495

Dr José Luis Parreño Catalán Director Departamento Biomecánica, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Alireza Fatahian Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Netherlands.

0000-0002-7554-2475

Dr. Darinka Korovljev, PhD Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Serbia.

0000-0002-2510-3044

Dr. Swapnesh Tiwari, MD, MS Department of Population Health, CVS Health, USA.

0009-0001-9271-1162

Nesrine Adhadhii, PhD Biomechanics and Physiology of exercise, ISSEP Kef, Kuwait.

0009-0001-7842-569X

Abstract

Background: Individuals with unilateral lower-limb amputations frequently exhibit gait asymmetries that place excessive mechanical loads on the intact limb.

Methods: This longitudinal analysis examines the relationship between long-term prosthetic gait asymmetry and the development of secondary orthopedic conditions.

Results: Prolonged asymmetry was significantly correlated with increased joint reaction forces and a higher prevalence of early-onset osteoarthritis in the intact knee.

Conclusion: Targeted gait retraining and optimized prosthetic alignment are critical to mitigate long-term degenerative risks in the intact limb of unilateral amputees.

JMMBS ID: JMMBS-2026-004-PGAL-V2-I2
IMSO ID: IMSO-REG-20260219-RS-PG-ASYMMETRY
DOI: 10.66078/jmmbs.v2i2.004
License: CC BY 4.0 International

Fig 1. Asymmetry Index comparison between prosthetic and intact limbs.

Fig 2. Peak joint reaction forces in the intact knee over a 5-year period.

Fig 3. Correlation between stance time asymmetry and intact limb loading.

Fig 4. Radiographic progression of osteoarthritis in the intact limb.