Improved Training Program for Fall Prevention of War Fighters

Improved Training Program for Fall Prevention of War Fighters With Lower Extremity Trauma

This study will train War Fighters with lower extremity trauma to decrease fall risk.

Eligible active duty service members, retired or veterans who participated in rehabilitation programs at Department of Defense Advanced Rehabilitation Centers (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Center for the Intrepid-San Antonio Military Medical Center and/or the Naval Medical Center San Diego) will be considered for enrollment in this study. This study will look at service members who have undergone transfemoral, transtibial or bilateral lower extremity amputation or limb salvage procedures. Participants will receive fall prevention training on an instrumented treadmill (6, training sessions). Participants will receive three performance assessments:-immediately following completion of the treadmill training and at three and six months following the completion of the training. Post training, twice per month subjects will receive an email containing a follow up fall questionnaire monitoring if they have fallen and the circumstances surrounding their fall. If they do not have access to email, or if a timely response is not received from the email questionnaire which was sent out, subjects will be contacted by phone.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Eligible active duty and retired service members and veterans with lower limb trauma
• Transfemoral amputation, transtibial amputation, bilateral amputation and or limb salvage
• Participated in conventional rehab at one of the following rehab centers: Walter Reed National Medical Center, Center for the Intrepid Brooke Army Medical Center, Naval Medical Center San Diego
• Community ambulator
• Prosthesis / Orthosis use daily
• Exclusion Criteria:
• Dysvascular disease
• Excessive pain
• Neuromuscular problems preventing the performance of study protocol