200 Section - Effects of an exercise program on sit-to-stand functional capacity in lower-limb amputees

Objectives : To evaluate the effect of an exercise program on the sit-to-stand functional capacity in individuals with lower-limb amputation (LLA) due to traumatic or vascular causes.

Design: Prospective clinical trial with 27 participants (14 traumatic; 13 vascular) with unilateral transfemoral or transtibial amputation. The exercise program, performed twice a week for six weeks, included resistance exercises for the lower limbs and trunk. The Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSTS) and hip extensor strength assessed by isokinetic dynamometry were measured. Analyses included paired t-test, Pearson correlation (p < 0.05), and study power calculation.

Results: The traumatic group showed a significant improvement in FTSTS (13.5 ± 5.04 s → 10.3 ± 4.44 s; p = 0.004; power = 0.92). The vascular group showed a non-significant trend toward improvement (11.2 ± 3.92 s → 9.85 ± 3.10 s; p = 0.251; power = 0.34). In the vascular group, hip extensor strength of the preserved limb correlated with post-program FTSTS performance (r = -0.77; p = 0.04).

Conclusion: The exercise program improved functional capacity in individuals with traumatic LLA. In the vascular group, although the improvement was not statistically significant, greater hip extensor strength of the preserved limb was associated with shorter sit-to-stand time, highlighting the relevance of muscle strength for functionality.