The Impact
This research has informed British and Dutch national clinical guidelines on the rehabilitation of patients following lower limb amputation (LLA), used by 1550 healthcare practitioners. Through STEPFORWARD, the research has demonstrated the benefits of a functional ankle-foot prothesis, improving patients’ daily function and quality of life in meaningful ways, including reduced pain and enhanced mobility.
The research has also led to the establishment of KEEP MOVING, an innovative community-based exercise programme for patients in and around East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire and accessible nationally online via the Limbless Association. KEEP MOVING has benefitted the physical and mental health of those with a LLA, positively reducing falls, improving their general fitness, and facilitating a social support group that had been missing locally.