High-Performance Prosthetics for Sports: Empowering the Next Generation of Athletes

High-performance prosthetics have increased the possibility of athletes achieving their goals in various sports activities by offering customized designs that fasten agility, power, and mobility. However, you might experience some challenges, but achieving your aim is certain. The invention of the prosthetic limb has made it possible for amputees to perform and participate in different sports activities, enhancing their physical ability. With High-performance prosthetics, athletes can participate in a diverse range of sporting activities such as running, swimming, climbing, or cycling.

This post will break down high-performance prosthetics, exploring the type of sports prosthetics alongside their key features. More so, we shall guide you on how to choose the right prosthetics for your sport and also unravel some famous athletes with their innovations in the field of prosthetics.

Understanding High-Performance Prosthetics

Today, high-performance prosthetics have opened doors for amputees to participate in sports activities. Its broad range of design has made it applicable to a wide range of sports activities. From sports activities such as sprinting, cycling, or swimming, high-performance prosthetics will stand the test of time. The role of high-performance prosthetics has led to a rapid increase in sports activities over the globe because amputees can now become athletes in the field of sports activities.

If you are a business owner in this field, investing in high-performance prosthetics will offer a great competitive advantage for your company. Inventing high-performance prosthetics that suit different sports, such as climbing, sprinting, or swimming, will open new market opportunities, stepping up the growth of the country. 

Type of Sports Prosthetics

Generally, the four basic types of prosthetics are transradial, transhumeral, transtibial, and transfemoral. But when it comes to sports prosthetics, it’s based on design and activities.  The major types of Sports prosthetics are sprinting and running prosthetics, swimming prosthetics, climbing prosthetics, and cycling prosthetics. 

• Sprinting and Running prosthetic 

This is a type of sports prosthetics designed in a way to offer speed and energy to the runners. The Blade-like design such as carbon fiber is integrated into these prosthetics to emulate speed into the athlete’s feet when in action. They aid in releasing energy into the running step, enabling the athlete to move faster with a little effort. However, the curvature and length of the blade can be designed specially to match your preference and running style for utmost performance. 

• Swimming prosthetic

The Swimming prosthetics are made primarily for swimming activities. This type of prosthetic is made in a fishy form to aid comfort through the water. During swimming, the devices will fasten an adequate resistance and buoyancy for fast movement. More so, they are designed with materials that withstand wet conditions or environments, preventing an act of corrosion.

Moreover, for athletes who engage in swimming and other sports activities, there is a modular system in these prosthetics that changes their function for land activities. 

• Climbing prosthetic

This type of prosthetic is designed for climbing activities, providing stability, agility, and strength to athletes when performing their climbing activities. The climbing prosthetics are mostly made with textured surfaces and spiked tips to enable a firm grip during movement. They are designed with lightweight materials such as aluminum alloys and strong components for strength during vast climbs. With this prosthetic, athletes with amputation can effectively navigate different climbing activities such as alpine climbing, ice climbing, rock climbing, and mountaineering. 

• Cycling prosthetic

For cyclists, this type of prosthetic is required to stimulate continuous energy to pedals during movement. It helps to provide comfort and stability for smooth movement when cycling. However, this type of prosthetic is divided into two basic forms, the Lower limb and the upper limb cycling prosthetic. For amputees with Lower limb amputation, the type of cycling prosthetic that offers rotational flexibility and shock absorption is most applicable. For those with upper limb amputation, it is applicable to choose the cycling prosthetic that aims for firmness to handlebars, providing optimal mobility and flexible control. 

Key feature of High-Performance Prosthetics

The high sport performance prosthetics offer outstanding features, leveraging advanced technology to enhance athletes’ performance. Some of the features are: 

• Motion Analysis

The high-performance sports prosthetics integrate motion analysis systems that use sensors to detect joint movement and muscle forces, aiding comfort while using their prosthetics.  The motion sensors are made to adjust the control and shape of the prosthetic if necessary to maximize effectiveness. Due to the presence of this feature in high-performance prosthetics, the athlete can perform more excellently in their sports events. 

• Exceptional Materials

Material used for high-performance prosthetics provides functionality for athletes during their sports events. They are designed with lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and other durable materials such as polymers and titanium to aid flexibility and stability while using the prosthetic. Overall, these materials have contributed a lot to the field of prosthetic limbs,  increasing their quality standards and tensile strength.

• Microprocessor integration

The integration of microprocessors in high-performance prosthetics has contributed to the functionality of athletes’ performance. The microprocessor allows for adjustment in the prosthetics when performing specific activities, aiding efficiency and mobility. Moreover, the microprocessor is made to detect changes in athletes’ speed and make immediate adjustments to the prosthetic for stability during running or sprinting events. In some cases, the microprocessor functions are related in function to the myoelectric sensors, helping to detect muscle movements, and providing precise movement during sports exercises.

Choosing the right Prosthetic for your sports

For an athlete, choosing the right prosthetics will determine your overall performance in all sporting events. Hence, when looking out for sports prosthetics, below are the basics to consider: 

• Custom Fittings for Optimal Performance

Before choosing a prosthetic, check out for its fitting appearance, if it meets your standards. Especially in high-performance prosthetics, these factors are important, where accuracy and resilience are essential. The custom fitting of a sports prosthetic should depend on the athlete’s level of activity and state of composure, to aid maximum comfort and convenience in your different events.  

In lower-limb prosthetics, a fitting should involve a proper fix of the prosthetic sockets to aid adequate weight distribution and precise movement control.  Likewise, upper limb prosthetics should involve customizing the joint or wrist angles for your actual sports activity.  

• Design

For an athlete who engages in different sports events, it is essential to consider the design of sports prosthetics before choosing them. A sports prosthetic with a high standard of design should allow for changing function components based on the activity of the arm. 

As a result, an athlete participating in running events should be able to change the prosthetic attachment to a sprinting blade for a track race and switch foot formation for trail running. It is also applicable to climbing athletes who may want to change its design attachments for icy and rockery surfaces. Therefore, by choosing a sports prosthetic with a high-standard design, it is certain for athletes to achieve their aim in their daily events.

Famous Athletes and Their Prosthetic Innovations

Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton is a great woman who at the age of 13 lost her left arm due to a shark attack when surfing. Even Though it was a severe attack, she went back to the shore one month after the incident occurred. She is a devoted person who learned to surf with only her arm remaining and gradually, she became a professional surfer. This allows her to be one of the best athletes who compete at high levels of the sport. 

However, Hamilton does use prosthetic devices for other sports activities like snowboarding but never for surfing because she has mastered it with her only arm. Due to this, many amputees and disabilities were inspired by her strong determination and endurance. 

Amy Purdy

Amy Purdy is a snowboarder who lost her legs at the age of 19. Despite the challenges, Purdy did not give up because of his determination while using a prosthetic leg. Eventually, She became a champion in the 2014 Paralympic Games by winning a bronze medal. As a result, She stays ahead as a leader through her designed snowboarding prosthetic leg.  

Purdy extended her boundaries and went on to compete on ‘dancing with the stars, showcasing the potential of prosthetic legs. She used various prosthetic legs for different dance movements, and Millions of people were shocked. This incident led to the growth of prosthetic limbs. 

Aimee Mullins

Aimee Mullins was a biological amputee, having no fibula bones. She had an amputation in each leg below the knee, leading to a life challenge. Mullins started using a prosthetic limb and became used to it while engaging in sports fields. After a brief time, She became a champion in his sports activities and set many records as a Paralympic athlete while in the journey of her sports career. 

Mullins set different standards and contributed to the field of the prosthetic limb. As a result, she became well known for her innovation, starting from athletic blades to other prosthetic components.

Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius, commonly known as the “Blade Runner,” was a born child with no fibulas. When he was 11 years old, he had an amputation of each leg below his knees. Oscar became a global leading runner with his prosthetic leg, contesting in Olympic and Paralympic events. 

Oscar uses a carbon-fiber prosthetic leg to achieve his goal at different sports events, showcasing the ability of advanced prosthetic technology. After gradual achievement, Oscar demonstrated how prosthetic limbs can highly enhance the performance of athletes at different sports levels. 

Heather Mills

In 1993, the wife of Paul McCartney Heather Mills had an amputation in her left leg below the knee. The amputation was caused by an accident with a police motorcycle. After a certain time, Mills has determination as an amputee and begins to use the prosthetic leg. She participated in several sports events and competed in a high-level race with her custom-made prosthetic leg. Mills’ experience showcases how a prosthetic limb can provide a better future for amputees, by pursuing their goals and objectives, through sports activities. 

Challenges Faced by Athletes with Prosthetics

• Accessibility

Accessibility is a major issue for athletes with prosthetics. The sense is that while multinational events like the Olympic or Paralympic are meant for both the able-bodied and amputees, they may not be the same as other regional events. In some regions, Athletes with amputations do not have access to training facilities and transportation equipment. That is not all, traveling to international events may be a problem for athletes with prosthetics, because some airports do not accept adaptive equipment or devices to enable safe flight. 

• Societal Perception

One of the biggest challenges for athletes with prosthetics is functioning as a societal member. They focus on their difficulties rather than pursuing their dreams in their sports activities. Hence, this can result in a lack of motivation, and support from sponsors and governments, perhaps within sporting associations. This will make them solely dependent on overcoming their challenges, and thus, they are supposed to develop their skills and abilities if there is encouragement and support 

• Physical and Mental Health Challenges

athletes with amputation face physical challenges associated with their prosthetic device, leading to a high risk of injury in training activities. In most cases, joint issues or pressure sores may suddenly occur, which can cause severe pain. Moreover, athletes with prosthetics can slightly have mental issues due to the tension of being selected as the first-rated athlete in the wide amputee community, causing immediate anxiety and pressure. 

• The Struggle for Recognition and Equality

With the pursuit of athletes in achieving their goal, they strive hard for recognition and equality. In popular events like the Paralympics or Olympics, their prize presentation, and sponsorship agreements for athletes with amputation are intimidating. In Olympic events, most athletes with prosthetics often receive little financial reward for their wins. In most cases, they are surpassed by other Olympic teams in the media. Due to this, for prosthetic athletes to be known globally will be a great challenge.  

• Financial Issue

Getting involved in sports events such as the Olympics or Paralympics requires financial stability. Most time, athletes with prosthetics typically pass through cost issues, causing setbacks in their sports careers. When financially unstable, they are unable to get the necessary equipment for training and participating in outdoor events. Hence, this will get them separated from other sports members or groups. 

Today, Many athletes with prosthetics depend on sponsorship opportunities to pay all necessary costs. This makes them incomparable to able-bodied members who can work and rely on nobody. Even Though, getting a sponsor will become difficult because their rate of performing in outdoor events will be limited. Meanwhile, the able-bodied member has a high potential to attract sponsors when they perform excellently in various competitions.

The Role of Technology and Future Innovations

With a glimpse of the future, high-performance prosthetics are likely to unleash another level of possibilities due to the continuous advancement in technology and materials. As a result of this, the initial gap between the prosthetic limb and the biological will eventually reduce, offering exceptional features for athletes to reach a greater height. 

Furthermore, the rise of biomechanical integration and neural interface will contribute to the advancement of prosthetics. The neural Interface helps to connect the prosthetic to the amputee’s nervous system, aiding for sensory feedback and involute control. Hence, as these technologies continue to grow, the more the rise of new technologies will tend to enhance the field of prosthetic limbs. 

Conclusion

High-performance prosthetics are not an ordinary device, but a path for athletes to achieve their aim in their sports events. With the integration of emerging technology, athletes can go beyond their limitations, breaking records and thereby extending their careers. The future athletes will indeed gain the advantage of high-performance prosthetics in overcoming their expectations and boundaries in their various sports.