Can a stiffer prosthetic foot help you keep your balance?
NCT ID NCT06711588
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether changing the stiffness of a prosthetic foot can improve balance for people with below-knee amputations. Twenty participants will try three different stiffness levels while walking, turning, and navigating ramps and uneven ground. The goal is to find the stiffness that best helps with everyday activities.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- prosthetic foot with adjustable stiffness
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help identify the best prosthetic foot stiffness to improve balance and reduce fall risk for people with below-knee amputations.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small early-stage study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The intervention is a device, not a drug, and benefits may be modest.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
21 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Dec 2024
- Finished
-
Jul 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 70 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Unilateral transtibial (below-knee) amputation * Been fit with a prosthesis and used it for at least 6 months * Wear the prosthesis for 4 or more hours on average per day * Be at least one-year post-amputation * Able to walk on a treadmill Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of disorder, pain, or injury other than amputation that interferes with gait * Current skin irritation or injury on residual limb * Use of an assistive device for walking (cane, walker, etc.)
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Lower limb amputation below knee are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
Seattle, Washington, 98108, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a prosthetic foot that adapts its stiffness help amputees keep their balance?
- New flexible socket could make prosthetics more comfortable for Below-Knee amputees
- Could a simple nerve stimulation device ease phantom limb pain?
- Study reveals Mind-Body link in amputee recovery
- Vibrating sock could silence phantom limb pain
- Why do prosthetic limbs feel so hot? new study investigates