Abstract
One of the biggest problems faced by the amputee today is a lack of physical activity. Amputees have significantly lower levels of physical activity than that of an able-bodied individual. Lack of physical activity for an amputee may result in an increased risk of many physiological conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and musculoskeletal injuries. Physical inactivity can have a depreciative effect on mood, self-esteem, and overall quality of life for an amputee. Modern day, high-functioning prosthetics are allowing amputees to participate in the physical activities of daily life, recreation, and elite sports. With proper prosthetic use, amputees retain the ability to reach a physical fitness level comparable to that of an able-bodied individual and increase their overall health. The prosthetics can be costly, especially when considering biotechnological prosthetics or those of the "one-of-a-kind" nature for elite sports. Technology and research developments are allowing prosthetic-wearing amputees more opportunities to engage in physical activity and elite sport but there can be drawbacks as well. In the future, amputees may face problems with insurance coverage for prosthetics and also legality issues if considering the use of a high functioning prosthetic for elite sports.
ScholarWorks Citation
Harlow, Sarah, "Prosthetics!and!Physical!Activity" (2014). Honors Projects. 338.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/338
