transfemoral snowboard responses
Judy Wagner.
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Title:
transfemoral snowboard responses
Creator:
Judy Wagner.
Text:
Dear colleagues:
Thank you for your informative responses to the post which I had issued
requesting information for a transfemoral amputee who would like to snowboard.
The responses are as follows:
I consulted my 12 year old snowboard'in son. He suggested Step- in bindings.
It sounds like the endolite ankle would be a good choice. How about some type
of auxillary shoulder straps and waist belt ,to aid in suspension?
You may want to have the person involved subscribe to the amputee
mailing list with St. John's university? It can be found here under mailing
list at this page.
<URL Redacted>
This very subject was a recent topic of conversation, and various amutees
gave many examples of technigues and variations in accomodations for their
legs while participating in such activities.
Great resource for all amputees and those in the field. Good luck!
Hi Judy,
I have first hand worked with a transfemoral amputee learning how to
snowboard for 3 full days in Vail 3 or 4 years ago. He was 18 years old and
had a otto bock polycentric hydraulic knee and a flexwalk. He was a great
skier before the amp. due to cancer. What we found was he did well until he
had to bend the knee and dig in onthe heel side. his knee would always buckle.
What we finally came up with that worked great was to wad up a pair of socks
and tape them behind the knee so he would be able to bend the knee but the
socks would stop him from buckling beyond 60-70 degrees. By the 3rd day he was
zipping down the mountain. He did have a personal instructer to help him learn
the basics.
Dear Mrs.Wagner,
I would sugest a silicon liner with an ischial containement socket,an extend
range of knee flexion like the Aulie knee,shock and torque absorbers would
also help a lot, due to the jumping in the snow.
Judy,
You might talk to Eric Robinson and staff at College Park. They just were
involved in Ski Spectacular in Breckenridge, CO and had a snowboarder
(amputee) there. Perhaps they can provide some additional information.
Hello My name is Eric Robinson. I saw your posting on the O&P-L regarding
snowboarding. I was in Breckenridge last month at the DSUSA Ski
Spectacular. College Park sponsored the first ever Snowboarding Clinic,
first of many to come. We brought a Certified Ski/Snowboarding Instructor
out of Rhode Island with us to help DSUSA make the clinic happen. His name
is Mr. Ed Stewart. He took up snowboarding 2 years ago and has been skiing
most of his life. By the way... in the fall look for a Fox Network
documentary on Snow Activities for the Disabled featuring Mr. Stewart in the
Snowboarding Section.
Ed may be able to give some advice or personal training to your patient. I
have included a picture of an ad that will be published soon by College
Park.
judy,
i would be interested in the replies you receive. I have used a new ski
foot with a couple of BK amputees with great success but am most curious
about snowboarding. The best candidates for this ski foot are often more
interested in boarding. Although I have skied for many years my
limited time on a snowBoard showed me the importance of weight shifting
and
of using your ankles
to control the edges of the board. THe flexibility of the boots makes this
a fairly obvious conclusion. I am thinking that a MA ankle with
no resistance in any plane would allow the snowboarder to control the
edges with the sound foot/ankle and have the prosthetic ankle just along
for
the ride and but still allow some shared weight bearing between the two
limbs.
THe hip and knee flexion required while boarding may not be
possible for the Ak amputee wearing a prosthesis. ANyway, just
thoughts. I
am also looking at this question but more for the BKA.
Judy
I'm not sure if this will help but I saw a vidio of Dana Bowman skiing with
his AK!!!
The trick was a parachute cord he tied from 2 holes he drilled about 3 inches
up from the anterior distal end of the socket that ran over the cosmetic knee
pad of his Titainium Black Max and inserted on the titianium anterior cross
barr ... This wass the first ever I've seen anyone try to simulate a
quadriceps function. He adjusted the amount of knee flexion by lenghtening or
shortening the chord. The knee pad acted like a very efficient bumper that
allowed him to flex and bounce back into extension. He also had very stong
hips and I'm sure this added to his ability. He also waterskiied with it. If
you'd like I could send a drawing. Good luck..
Please, post the results to this one. I have taken up snowboarding the
last few years and may never ski again; but, I can't imagine how a
transfemoral could accomplish snowboarding. I suspect the first step
would be to try skateboarding to at least get an idea what may need to be
done from a prosthetic perspective. I really have no help to offer but I
think the problems you are dealing with is why transfemoral snow skiers opt
for the 3-track method.
I am a 42 y.o. active Trans tibial amputee that boards almost every weekend. I
don't how these things will apply to a Trans femoral amputee but here goes,
I board with my prosthesis forward (my right leg) which is referred to by
boarders as goofy. I do this because:
- Getting on and off the lift is easier for me this way.
- it is easier to buckle the sound side back into the binding.
- I use the back foot (sound side) to push through turns.
I set my front binding (amputated foot) in the ten O'clock position (nose of
the board being 12 o'clock.
- since the rotation at the ankle is needed, but is with an amputee, at best
passive, this position is more neutral relative to the knee.
I also dorsi-flex (toe up) the toe on the prosthetic side 5 to 7 degrees.
- Once again no ankle motion, so pick the neutral position
- As far as the Endolite foot goes, select the firmest bumper. Remember the
board act like an extension on the foot (longer lever arm) that makes any foot
feel soft.
I wear wrist guards:
-because I'm old, too radical for my own good and the wrist is the boarders
weak point in a fall. Try to practice landing on your forearms and not your
hands.
Good luck and watch out for the two plankers they're dangerous man.
Hi there,
My name is Scott Elliott and I am a prosthetist in Colorado. I do a little
work with the Breckenridge Adaptive ski program and have a few suggestions for
your trans-femoral amputee who wants to snowboard. I have not personally
worked with any TF patients who snowboard...but here are my suggestions.
First, have him use his sound leg as the downhill or front leg. To work a
snowboard well, you must have the majority of your weight on the forward foot.
Second, have him lock the knee unit in a flexed position on the prosthetic
side to give a good athletic body position. The bindings may have to be
adjusted a little (as far as angles) to give him a comfortable position on the
board. And a forward canting unit may have to be used underneath the binding
on the prosthetic side to help shift weight forward. Further, my suggestion
would be to find a stiffer foot to use for boarding. Endolite ankles
specifically are a little soft for riding. I would recommend something closer
to a Flex Foot as far as stiffness. You can simply carve or make turns better
on the toe side with a snowboard if there is increased resistance to
dorsiflexion (that's why racers use hard boots on a snowboard). Finally, for
initial teaching, instructors can tether the student at the waist or even
front foot ( I recommend the waist for better control). But before doing
that, start with teaching falling leaf technique on the toes and on the heels
by holding hands face to face or using a bamboo pole.I believe that the
toughest task here will be body positioning with respect to the knee. Good
luck! Let me know how he does.
Colleagues:
In response to your request on the results of his efforts, this patient has
not yet taken to the slopes but will be participating in the Harmarville Ski
Classic this coming week.
Simple skateboard and snowboard activites in therapy have had limited success;
he has readily learned the value of the wrist guards!!!!!!!! He is
considering joining the ranks of the two plankers at this event as this will
be his first efforts on the slopes since his amputation.
Thank you again for the info.
Judy Wagner PT, CP
Thank you for your informative responses to the post which I had issued
requesting information for a transfemoral amputee who would like to snowboard.
The responses are as follows:
I consulted my 12 year old snowboard'in son. He suggested Step- in bindings.
It sounds like the endolite ankle would be a good choice. How about some type
of auxillary shoulder straps and waist belt ,to aid in suspension?
You may want to have the person involved subscribe to the amputee
mailing list with St. John's university? It can be found here under mailing
list at this page.
<URL Redacted>
This very subject was a recent topic of conversation, and various amutees
gave many examples of technigues and variations in accomodations for their
legs while participating in such activities.
Great resource for all amputees and those in the field. Good luck!
Hi Judy,
I have first hand worked with a transfemoral amputee learning how to
snowboard for 3 full days in Vail 3 or 4 years ago. He was 18 years old and
had a otto bock polycentric hydraulic knee and a flexwalk. He was a great
skier before the amp. due to cancer. What we found was he did well until he
had to bend the knee and dig in onthe heel side. his knee would always buckle.
What we finally came up with that worked great was to wad up a pair of socks
and tape them behind the knee so he would be able to bend the knee but the
socks would stop him from buckling beyond 60-70 degrees. By the 3rd day he was
zipping down the mountain. He did have a personal instructer to help him learn
the basics.
Dear Mrs.Wagner,
I would sugest a silicon liner with an ischial containement socket,an extend
range of knee flexion like the Aulie knee,shock and torque absorbers would
also help a lot, due to the jumping in the snow.
Judy,
You might talk to Eric Robinson and staff at College Park. They just were
involved in Ski Spectacular in Breckenridge, CO and had a snowboarder
(amputee) there. Perhaps they can provide some additional information.
Hello My name is Eric Robinson. I saw your posting on the O&P-L regarding
snowboarding. I was in Breckenridge last month at the DSUSA Ski
Spectacular. College Park sponsored the first ever Snowboarding Clinic,
first of many to come. We brought a Certified Ski/Snowboarding Instructor
out of Rhode Island with us to help DSUSA make the clinic happen. His name
is Mr. Ed Stewart. He took up snowboarding 2 years ago and has been skiing
most of his life. By the way... in the fall look for a Fox Network
documentary on Snow Activities for the Disabled featuring Mr. Stewart in the
Snowboarding Section.
Ed may be able to give some advice or personal training to your patient. I
have included a picture of an ad that will be published soon by College
Park.
judy,
i would be interested in the replies you receive. I have used a new ski
foot with a couple of BK amputees with great success but am most curious
about snowboarding. The best candidates for this ski foot are often more
interested in boarding. Although I have skied for many years my
limited time on a snowBoard showed me the importance of weight shifting
and
of using your ankles
to control the edges of the board. THe flexibility of the boots makes this
a fairly obvious conclusion. I am thinking that a MA ankle with
no resistance in any plane would allow the snowboarder to control the
edges with the sound foot/ankle and have the prosthetic ankle just along
for
the ride and but still allow some shared weight bearing between the two
limbs.
THe hip and knee flexion required while boarding may not be
possible for the Ak amputee wearing a prosthesis. ANyway, just
thoughts. I
am also looking at this question but more for the BKA.
Judy
I'm not sure if this will help but I saw a vidio of Dana Bowman skiing with
his AK!!!
The trick was a parachute cord he tied from 2 holes he drilled about 3 inches
up from the anterior distal end of the socket that ran over the cosmetic knee
pad of his Titainium Black Max and inserted on the titianium anterior cross
barr ... This wass the first ever I've seen anyone try to simulate a
quadriceps function. He adjusted the amount of knee flexion by lenghtening or
shortening the chord. The knee pad acted like a very efficient bumper that
allowed him to flex and bounce back into extension. He also had very stong
hips and I'm sure this added to his ability. He also waterskiied with it. If
you'd like I could send a drawing. Good luck..
Please, post the results to this one. I have taken up snowboarding the
last few years and may never ski again; but, I can't imagine how a
transfemoral could accomplish snowboarding. I suspect the first step
would be to try skateboarding to at least get an idea what may need to be
done from a prosthetic perspective. I really have no help to offer but I
think the problems you are dealing with is why transfemoral snow skiers opt
for the 3-track method.
I am a 42 y.o. active Trans tibial amputee that boards almost every weekend. I
don't how these things will apply to a Trans femoral amputee but here goes,
I board with my prosthesis forward (my right leg) which is referred to by
boarders as goofy. I do this because:
- Getting on and off the lift is easier for me this way.
- it is easier to buckle the sound side back into the binding.
- I use the back foot (sound side) to push through turns.
I set my front binding (amputated foot) in the ten O'clock position (nose of
the board being 12 o'clock.
- since the rotation at the ankle is needed, but is with an amputee, at best
passive, this position is more neutral relative to the knee.
I also dorsi-flex (toe up) the toe on the prosthetic side 5 to 7 degrees.
- Once again no ankle motion, so pick the neutral position
- As far as the Endolite foot goes, select the firmest bumper. Remember the
board act like an extension on the foot (longer lever arm) that makes any foot
feel soft.
I wear wrist guards:
-because I'm old, too radical for my own good and the wrist is the boarders
weak point in a fall. Try to practice landing on your forearms and not your
hands.
Good luck and watch out for the two plankers they're dangerous man.
Hi there,
My name is Scott Elliott and I am a prosthetist in Colorado. I do a little
work with the Breckenridge Adaptive ski program and have a few suggestions for
your trans-femoral amputee who wants to snowboard. I have not personally
worked with any TF patients who snowboard...but here are my suggestions.
First, have him use his sound leg as the downhill or front leg. To work a
snowboard well, you must have the majority of your weight on the forward foot.
Second, have him lock the knee unit in a flexed position on the prosthetic
side to give a good athletic body position. The bindings may have to be
adjusted a little (as far as angles) to give him a comfortable position on the
board. And a forward canting unit may have to be used underneath the binding
on the prosthetic side to help shift weight forward. Further, my suggestion
would be to find a stiffer foot to use for boarding. Endolite ankles
specifically are a little soft for riding. I would recommend something closer
to a Flex Foot as far as stiffness. You can simply carve or make turns better
on the toe side with a snowboard if there is increased resistance to
dorsiflexion (that's why racers use hard boots on a snowboard). Finally, for
initial teaching, instructors can tether the student at the waist or even
front foot ( I recommend the waist for better control). But before doing
that, start with teaching falling leaf technique on the toes and on the heels
by holding hands face to face or using a bamboo pole.I believe that the
toughest task here will be body positioning with respect to the knee. Good
luck! Let me know how he does.
Colleagues:
In response to your request on the results of his efforts, this patient has
not yet taken to the slopes but will be participating in the Harmarville Ski
Classic this coming week.
Simple skateboard and snowboard activites in therapy have had limited success;
he has readily learned the value of the wrist guards!!!!!!!! He is
considering joining the ranks of the two plankers at this event as this will
be his first efforts on the slopes since his amputation.
Thank you again for the info.
Judy Wagner PT, CP
Citation
Judy Wagner., “transfemoral snowboard responses,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/211174.
