Amputees Support Group

Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or surgery. Many have undergone amputation or have been living with a missing limb since birth. In either case, life as an amputee can be challenging. This is the place to find others going through the same experiences as an amputee. Share your thoughts, troubles, and solutions with the community.

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Muscles & Bones
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Walking up or down steep hill

LeftBKMarch2007
LeftBKMarch2007
How do you walk up or down steep hills?
When I walk up my driveway I have to walk using my toes more then the hole foot, when I walk down it I use my heal more then the hole foot. Just was wondering how everybody else does it or if they have a foot that makes it easyer to go up and down hills.

Dennis
deleted_user
deleted_user
That is how I do it. My driveway is real steep.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Dennis:
Going downward, assuming you have reasonable strength and flex in the amped leg, flex your knee enough so the foot contacts the slope on the same angle. Practice it a bit and it becomes second nature and makes the downward slope easier to handle.

Going upward can't work that way in reverse. I find traveling at a bit of a diagional on the upward slope reduces the reverse knee bending to a tolerable level.

Notoes
deleted_user
deleted_user
I have the PerfectStride IIx3 foot from BioQuest http://www.bioquestpros.com/html/science.html . This foot allows me to pretty much go up and down steep hills the same way as people with 2 real feet. Go to the website and you can see why this is possible.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Same answer as Drew -- the foot allows me to do what ever I do with the real one.
papertrucker
papertrucker
when going down a steep incline I use the hydlics in my knee and just slow the whole motion down.going up a steep incline I more less zig zag.Some time I will start out with the wrong leg having to laugh and start all over again
deleted_user
deleted_user
To add some clarity to my earlier comment, I am a LBK amp. Those AK's deal with a whole different world as compared to BK's

Notoes
deleted_user
deleted_user
Hey all.
Have a perfect stride...and it moves too most angles...
extream angles...dont point your toes stright up or down the slope

about a 45 degree angle to the slope...will help alot...

A good foot will handle all but the most extream slopes
adjust a little in the knee and the angle of the toes...for extream slopes...you should be good to go...am bk...so..ak...will have to work way harder...I would think

Frosty