[Does mental training improve learning to walk with an above-knee prosthesis?].

BACKGROUND

Mental training is a method for optimizing movement patterns, which has become well established through its application in high performance sport and is also adopted in therapeutic contexts. The question arises as to whether the process of learning to walk following the fitting of a femoral prosthesis can be enhanced by means of mental training.

METHODS

In the framework of a prospective randomized study, healthy subjects (36 students) were required to learn to walk with a femoral prosthesis: the control group (n=18) exclusively with the aid of practical training and the experimental group (n=18) with practical and mental training. Dependent variables were specified as the gait parameters of a computer-supported and an observational gait analysis.

RESULTS

In comparison to the control group, the experimental group made significantly faster learning progress in all parameters of the computer-supported and observational gait analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Mental training seems to be an effective gait training method following the fitting of a femoral prosthesis. Transferring this method to rehabilitation, particularly in young patients, would most certainly appear feasible.