Design trends in actuated lower-limb prosthetic systems: a narrative review

Introduction: Actuated lower limb prostheses, including powered (active) and semi-active (quasi-passive) joints, are endowed with controllable power and/or impedance, which can be advantageous to limb impairment individuals by improving locomotion mechanics and reducing the overall metabolic cost of ambulation. However, an increasing number of commercial and research-focused options have made navigating this field a daunting task for users, researchers, clinicians, and professionals. Areas covered: The present paper provides an overview of the latest trends and developments in the field of actuated lower-limb prostheses and corresponding technologies. Following a gentle summary of essential gait features, we introduce and compare various actuated prosthetic solutions in academia and the market designed to provide assistance at different levels of impairments. Correspondingly, we offer insights into the latest developments of sockets and suspension systems, before finally discussing the established and emerging trends in surgical approaches aimed at improving prosthetic experience through enhanced physical and neural interfaces. Expert opinion: The ongoing challenges and future research opportunities in the field are summarized for exploring potential avenues for development of next generation of actuated lower limb prostheses. In our opinions, a closer multidisciplinary integration can be found in the field of actuated lower-limb prostheses in the future.