PROSTHETIC ASSISTANT UPDATED QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔Why should the socket be adducted for a TF? - ✔✔Normal femoral angle
Stretches the glutes and abductors
✔✔How many degrees is the normal femoral angle? - ✔✔6-8°
✔✔Why is the foot externally rotated in bench alignment for a TF? - ✔✔Lateral stability
Position foot for loading response
Normal weight line progression through foot
✔✔What does plantargrade mean? - ✔✔Foot flat in shoe
✔✔Why is the foot location relative to the ischial line important? - ✔✔Generates varus
moment at the hip
✔✔What is the purpose of the ischial containment? - ✔✔Med/lat stability by creating
bony lock
Opposes the lateral wall
Offloads the lateral/distal femur
✔✔What can happen if hip flexion contractures are not accommodated in the TF
prosthesis? - ✔✔Increased lordosis
Uneven step length
✔✔Where should the weight line be for bench alignment? - ✔✔5-15mm anterior to the
knee axis
✔✔How many degrees of flexion are added to the original flexion contracture angle for
bench alignment? - ✔✔5°
✔✔How many degrees of adduction should the socket be in for bench alignment for
TF? - ✔✔6-7°
✔✔In bench alignment for TF, should the socket be adducted or abducted? -
✔✔Adducted
✔✔In bench alignment for TF, should the knee be internally rotated or externally
rotated? - ✔✔Externally rotated
✔✔How many degrees of external rotation should the knee be in for TF bench
alignment? - ✔✔3-5°
,✔✔In bench alignment for TF, should the foot be in inset from the ischium or outset
from the ischium? - ✔✔Outset from the ischium
✔✔How many degrees of toe out should the foot be in for TF bench alignment? - ✔✔5-
7°
✔✔Which two bench alignment measurement position the foot for loading response for
a TF? - ✔✔External knee rotation
Foot toe out
✔✔Which external moment at the hip is more stable for TF? - ✔✔Varus moment
✔✔What is the measurement for normal base of support for TF? - ✔✔2-4"
✔✔What phase of gait does the ischial containment impact for TF? - ✔✔Midstance
✔✔Why do some TF amputees present with a hip abduction contracture? - ✔✔The
primary adductor has been severed, causing an imbalance of eccentric adductors to
counteract the hip abductors
✔✔@ Initial contact for a BK, if the patient feels the knee is too extended, what could be
a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Faulty suspension
Insufficient pre-flexion of the socket
Foot too anterior
✔✔@ Initial contact for a BK, if the patient feels the knee is too flexed, what could be a
possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Faulty suspension
Flexion contracture
✔✔@ Initial contact for a BK, if the patient shows an unequal stride length, what could
be a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too posterior or anterior
Poor gait training
✔✔@ Loading response for a BK, if the knee remains extended and the patient "rides
the heel" or feels they are "crushing" the heel what could be a possible cause of this
deviation? - ✔✔Foot is too anterior
Socket is too extended, foot is too plantar flexed
Prosthetic foot heel too soft (requires a bumper)
Heel on shoe too low
Poor gait training
, ✔✔@ Loading response for a BK, knee flexion is abrupt and is showing knee instability
with knee buckling, what could be a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Weak quads
Foot too posterior
Socket too flexed, foot too dorsiflexed
Heel on show is too stiff or too high
Prosthetic foot bumper or heel wedge is too firm
✔✔@ Loading response for a BK, the patient feels their foot is slapping, what could be
a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Plantarflexion resistance too soft
Incorrect foot category (weight gain)
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the pylon leans medially, what could be a possible cause of
this deviation? - ✔✔Too much socket adduction
Foot too outset
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the pylon leans laterally, what could be a possible cause of
this deviation? - ✔✔Not enough adduction
Foot too inset
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patient shows too much varus moment, what could be
a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too inset
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patient shows too little varus moment, what could be a
possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too outset
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patients feet are too close, what could be a possible
cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too inset
Gait training is needed
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patients feet are too far apart, what could be a possible
cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too outset
Gait training is needed
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patients lateral trunk is bending to the prosthetic side,
what could be a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Prosthesis height incorrect
Residual limb pain
Foot too outset
✔✔@ Terminal stance and pre-swing for a BK, if the patients heel off occurs too early
and patient "drops off" too quickly onto the sound side, what could be a possible cause
of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too posterior
Foot too dorsiflexed
ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔Why should the socket be adducted for a TF? - ✔✔Normal femoral angle
Stretches the glutes and abductors
✔✔How many degrees is the normal femoral angle? - ✔✔6-8°
✔✔Why is the foot externally rotated in bench alignment for a TF? - ✔✔Lateral stability
Position foot for loading response
Normal weight line progression through foot
✔✔What does plantargrade mean? - ✔✔Foot flat in shoe
✔✔Why is the foot location relative to the ischial line important? - ✔✔Generates varus
moment at the hip
✔✔What is the purpose of the ischial containment? - ✔✔Med/lat stability by creating
bony lock
Opposes the lateral wall
Offloads the lateral/distal femur
✔✔What can happen if hip flexion contractures are not accommodated in the TF
prosthesis? - ✔✔Increased lordosis
Uneven step length
✔✔Where should the weight line be for bench alignment? - ✔✔5-15mm anterior to the
knee axis
✔✔How many degrees of flexion are added to the original flexion contracture angle for
bench alignment? - ✔✔5°
✔✔How many degrees of adduction should the socket be in for bench alignment for
TF? - ✔✔6-7°
✔✔In bench alignment for TF, should the socket be adducted or abducted? -
✔✔Adducted
✔✔In bench alignment for TF, should the knee be internally rotated or externally
rotated? - ✔✔Externally rotated
✔✔How many degrees of external rotation should the knee be in for TF bench
alignment? - ✔✔3-5°
,✔✔In bench alignment for TF, should the foot be in inset from the ischium or outset
from the ischium? - ✔✔Outset from the ischium
✔✔How many degrees of toe out should the foot be in for TF bench alignment? - ✔✔5-
7°
✔✔Which two bench alignment measurement position the foot for loading response for
a TF? - ✔✔External knee rotation
Foot toe out
✔✔Which external moment at the hip is more stable for TF? - ✔✔Varus moment
✔✔What is the measurement for normal base of support for TF? - ✔✔2-4"
✔✔What phase of gait does the ischial containment impact for TF? - ✔✔Midstance
✔✔Why do some TF amputees present with a hip abduction contracture? - ✔✔The
primary adductor has been severed, causing an imbalance of eccentric adductors to
counteract the hip abductors
✔✔@ Initial contact for a BK, if the patient feels the knee is too extended, what could be
a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Faulty suspension
Insufficient pre-flexion of the socket
Foot too anterior
✔✔@ Initial contact for a BK, if the patient feels the knee is too flexed, what could be a
possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Faulty suspension
Flexion contracture
✔✔@ Initial contact for a BK, if the patient shows an unequal stride length, what could
be a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too posterior or anterior
Poor gait training
✔✔@ Loading response for a BK, if the knee remains extended and the patient "rides
the heel" or feels they are "crushing" the heel what could be a possible cause of this
deviation? - ✔✔Foot is too anterior
Socket is too extended, foot is too plantar flexed
Prosthetic foot heel too soft (requires a bumper)
Heel on shoe too low
Poor gait training
, ✔✔@ Loading response for a BK, knee flexion is abrupt and is showing knee instability
with knee buckling, what could be a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Weak quads
Foot too posterior
Socket too flexed, foot too dorsiflexed
Heel on show is too stiff or too high
Prosthetic foot bumper or heel wedge is too firm
✔✔@ Loading response for a BK, the patient feels their foot is slapping, what could be
a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Plantarflexion resistance too soft
Incorrect foot category (weight gain)
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the pylon leans medially, what could be a possible cause of
this deviation? - ✔✔Too much socket adduction
Foot too outset
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the pylon leans laterally, what could be a possible cause of
this deviation? - ✔✔Not enough adduction
Foot too inset
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patient shows too much varus moment, what could be
a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too inset
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patient shows too little varus moment, what could be a
possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too outset
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patients feet are too close, what could be a possible
cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too inset
Gait training is needed
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patients feet are too far apart, what could be a possible
cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too outset
Gait training is needed
✔✔@ Midstance for a BK, if the patients lateral trunk is bending to the prosthetic side,
what could be a possible cause of this deviation? - ✔✔Prosthesis height incorrect
Residual limb pain
Foot too outset
✔✔@ Terminal stance and pre-swing for a BK, if the patients heel off occurs too early
and patient "drops off" too quickly onto the sound side, what could be a possible cause
of this deviation? - ✔✔Foot too posterior
Foot too dorsiflexed
