Relationship of severity of sensory impairments and measures of balance and gait in lower-limb amputees

Lower-limb amputees are at an increased risk for falls due to balance impairments and lack of sensory feedback. Dysvascular amputation is especially associated with a lack of sensory feedback from both limbs, although studies measuring balance impairments after amputation have primarily focused on traumatic limb loss. The purpose of this study is to analyze the balance of lower-limb amputees and determine the extent to which impaired sensation in the intact and residual limbs affects measures of postural control and sensory integration. Using clinical measures of sensory impairment and the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), we evaluated sensation and postural control in four lower-limb amputees.