Methods to reproduce stumbles and slips during walking
Official title: Evaluating Methods to Replicate Stumbles and Slips During Walking
Run by Össur Iceland ehf · NCT07175714 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests three ways to create unexpected slips and stumbles during walking to compare responses in people who use a unilateral lower‑limb prosthesis and able‑bodied adults.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Össur Iceland ehf Industry-sponsored |
| Locations | 2 sites (Reykjavik and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 26, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | February 13, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07175714 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18 or older who can walk independently without a cane or walker and who are either able‑bodied or regular unilateral lower‑limb prosthesis users for at least one year, weighing between 40 and 136 kg and able to follow study instructions, are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with conditions that affect mobility or balance (including painful conditions, major musculoskeletal or neurological disorders), those using balance‑impairing medications, pregnant people, or those who require assistive walking devices are unlikely to benefit and are excluded for safety.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Participants will be split into two groups—regular unilateral prosthesis users and able‑bodied adults—and will complete controlled walking tests in a laboratory setting. Up to three perturbation methods (mechanical, visual, or auditory) will be used to mimic unexpected obstacles or sudden changes in terrain, with the number of methods per participant limited by time and fatigue. Researchers will apply these perturbations in a controlled sequence while monitoring participants' balance recovery and gait responses. Safety precautions and rest breaks will be provided to minimize risk and fatigue during testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help improve fall‑prevention training and prosthetic design to reduce real‑world stumbles and falls.
How similar studies have gone: Related laboratory studies using slip, trip, or sensory perturbations have produced useful insights into balance recovery, though prosthesis‑specific comparisons remain less common.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 40 kg \< body weight \< 136kg * Cognitive ability to understand all instructions and questionnaires in the study * Willing and able to participate in the study and following the protocol * Age ≥ 18 years * Able to walk independently without the use of assistive device such as a cane or walker * Able-bodied subjects OR Regular prosthesis users for at least 1 year with unilateral lower limb amputation at or below the transfemoral level (or equivalent level limb deficiency) Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects with pain which can affect their mobility * Users with socket comfort score less than 7 * Subjects with cognitive impairment * Pregnant subjects * Musculoskeletal disorders or neurological conditions that affect motor function, gait or balance * Use of medications that are known to impair balance and coordination * Any other conditions deemed by the investigator to make participation unsafe
Where it's running
-
Össur Iceland ehf.
Reykjavik, Iceland Recruiting -
University of Iceland
Reykjavik, Iceland Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Thor Fridriksson, Doctor — Össur Iceland ehf
- Study coordinator: Laurine Roussillon, Master
- Email: lroussillon@ossur.com
- Phone: +3548221812
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
The Balance and Foot Health Program for Older Adults
A study tests whether adding foot-health workshops to balance training helps improve mobility for residents 65 and older in nursing homes who are at risk of falling.
-
Falls risk in adults over 65: does asymmetry in legs matter for balance and safety
This study tests whether differences between the two legs in strength or function help predict falls in adults 65 and older who move independently.
-
Balance workshops to learn getting up from the floor for older adults living at home
This pilot study tests a balance training program that includes a module on getting up from the floor for people over 65 who live at home and have fallen or feel unsteady.
-
Community-based muscle power training versus traditional strength training for older adults with and without past falls
This will test whether a community-based muscle power exercise program helps adults aged 65–85 who have or haven't fallen improve balance and reduce fall risk.
-
Task-specific balance training to reduce falls in older adults
This study will test whether a new task-specific balance training helps community-dwelling older adults at risk of falling avoid slips, trips, and reduce real-life falls.
-
Steady Stride fall-prevention program versus usual primary care
This study will see if the Steady Stride physiatry-based program helps people 65 and older who had at least two falls in the past six months reduce future falls compared with usual primary care.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.