Digital Approaches to Lower-Limb Prosthesis Optimization

Lower-limb prosthesis optimization remains a complex clinical challenge, as gait compensations and alignment-related deviations are often difficult to identify through only visual assessment. This paper demonstrates how integrated digital gait assessment can provide objective, clinically relevant insight into prosthesis-related movement patterns. A laboratory study was conducted using marker-based motion capture, ground reaction force measurement, and treadmill-based plantar pressure analysis to characterize gait kinematics, kinetics, and load distribution during walking and stance. The results reveal multi-segment compensations involving pelvic control, transverse-plane knee motion, ankle–foot function, and asymmetric weight-bearing strategies. To extend descriptive findings toward mechanistic understanding, an OpenSim-based musculoskeletal modeling workflow is introduced as a decision-support pipeline for joint-level interpretation. Together, the results illustrate how complementary digital methods can support evidence-based prosthesis fitting and alignment decisions, while highlighting a practical pathway toward scalable, technology-assisted rehabilitation workflows.