Energy expenditure during walking in subjects with tibial rotationplasty, above-knee amputation, or hip disarticulation.

Abstract

The surgical treatment of osteosarcoma with a tibial rotationplasty seems to offer functional advantages in comparison with an above-knee amputation. It has not been established whether the functional advantages are accompanied by a lower rate of energy expenditure during walking. In children with a tibial rotationplasty (n = 15), an above-knee amputation (n = 6), or a hip disarticulation (n = 5), energy expenditure was measured during treadmill walking at various walking velocities. The subjects with a tibial rotationplasty were able to walk faster, but there were no differences between the groups in energy expenditure per unit time or per unit distance. Correction for confounding variables including age, sex, height, time since operation, level of activity, and support during walking in a multiple linear regression model did not reveal any significant differences in energy expenditure during walking between groups. 1992 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.