Metric Charcteristics of Sit-to-stand Tests in Patients After Lower-limb Amputation

All the tests will be performed using standardised protocols and technical aids. The assessments will be performed in the afternoon (after the daily rehabilitation program). The patients who will be able to perform the 5TSTS will perform that test first. If those patients will bill able to stand up within 30 seconds on each of the five trials, the 30SSTS will be performed next; otherwise, the number of times that the patient was able to complete the transition to the standing position will be recorded and taken as the 30SSTS result. Repetition of the outcome measurements will not serve to simply use the differences as the actual outcomes, but will serve to assess floor effect (the percentage of patients attaining the minimum possible score) on each occasion, to assess repeatability (intra-class correlation between the measurements on two consecutive days), minimal detectable change (calculated from the standard error of measurement, which will be estimated from the correlation between the measurements at the start and after two weeks) and effect size (difference between the mean measurements at the start and after two weeks, divided by the standard deviation at the start). In addition, the repeated measurements will be used to assess concurrent validity in terms of the correlation between the sit-to-stand tests and the walking tests on two occasions (at the start and after two weeks).

Inclusion criteria

• unilateral trans-femoral or trans-tibial amputation
• fitted with a prosthesis for the first time
• being able to walk with the prosthesis independently (without walking aids or using a cane, crutch or walker)

Exclusion criteria

• balance disorder beacuse of neurological disease
• other muskuloskeletal impairments affecting the outcome measurements
• cardio-vascular disease that could be worsened by prforming the outcome measurements
• general ill health