The Sixth Workshop

Challenging for the Paralympics With Prosthetic Legs That Have Life

A craftsman who has been making prosthetic limbs catered to the needs of each user has been advancing research to develop prosthetic legs for athletic competitions. His work has made it possible for many users of prosthetic legs, including children, to run. In his private time, he manages a prosthetic leg athletics club which he created, that offers about 100 runners an opportunity to practice.

Prosthetic legs for competitive use are not yet widely available in Japan. Their use requires practice, and inexperienced users can damage their knee or hip joint. However, there are not enough sports instructors who can provide coaching on how to use these prosthetic legs, and more instructors are being trained.

Prosthetic legs for competitive use also require fine-tuning. The current level of financial support for developing prostheses in Japan is not enough to meet these needs.

Prosthetic legs for general use differ considerably. Most users have had a lower limb amputated as a result of diabetes. Fine-tuning the alignment is difficult with prosthetic legs made overseas, and the focus is on developing prosthetic legs domestically, in Japan. Prosthetic legs for competitive athletic use are currently being developed in cooperation with research institutions. Because children have a higher ability to adapt, practicing from a young age with prosthetic legs for athletic use is very effective. Prosthetic legs adapted to specific athletic events are also being developed.