Foreshortened Prostheses (Stubbies)

As a bilateral leg amputee, learning to walk again will be one of your major goals. Much will depend on your age and energy level, but you will most likely begin to relearn these skills soon after surgery. During this time, you will work with many therapists. The combined efforts between you and your therapists will help you relearn the walking process. Your therapists will also help you set goals and prepare a rehabilitation plan that is based on your needs.

One prosthetic option you’ll have is to relearn to walk with the help of stubbies. Stubbies are made of short sockets and offer a sturdy foundation. This foundation provides a lower center of gravity, which enhances your balance and stability. This means that using stubbies greatly reduces the risk of falling while relearning how to walk. Regaining your balance and stability is the most important step in this process. You’ll need these skills if you choose to try walking with standard size prostheses.

Using stubbies offers several benefits, both as a rehabilitation tool and as a lifelong prosthetic choice:

• Stubbies are easy to use. They require little energy to get around, which means less stress. This is especially helpful to seniors and the physically unfit.

• Stubbies help your residual limb heal properly.

• Stubbies help you achieve the levels of balance and stability you’ll need so that you can walk with confidence.

• Stubbies are a great choice for children. They enhance balance and stability and prepare a child for walking with standard prostheses. They also save time and money. With stubbies, your child will not have to be refitted each time he or she has a growth spurt.

• Stubbies are safe, economical and dependable.

**For complete documentation, please see the original version of this fact sheet.