The use of sports prosthetics has witnessed remarkable development in recent years. With the growing number of athletes with amputations around the world, these limbs have become an essential part of enhancing sports performance and fostering independence for athletes across various disciplines. Reports indicate that the use of sports prosthetics among athletes in Europe ranges between 18% and 25%, while Asia is experiencing rapid growth, particularly in Japan and South Korea, driven by technological advancements and increasing awareness of the importance of sports rehabilitation for people with disabilities.
What are sports prosthetics?
Sports prostheses are devices specially designed for athletes who have undergone amputation or suffered an injury to enable them to continue participating in sports activities efficiently and safely. These limbs differ from traditional prostheses in that they are designed to withstand the high pressures and rapid and repetitive movements associated with various sports such as running, weightlifting, cycling, and other sports.
Sports prosthetics are designed to suit the type of sport and the physical performance requirements of the athlete, taking into account the biomechanical factors of each individual. For example, limbs used in running are curved and work to store and return kinetic energy, which helps achieve high speeds and minimize stress on the joints.
When fitting prosthetics, lightweight, high-strength materials such as carbon fiber are typically used to provide the flexibility and durability required for optimal athletic activity. Each limb design is customized to suit the athlete’s individual needs, thereby improving performance and reducing the risk of injury.
Thanks to technological advances in the field of sports prosthetics, amputee athletes can participate in sports competitions at the highest levels and in all competitions, including the Paralympic Games, and achieve the same outstanding achievements as able-bodied athletes.
The difference between an athlete’s limb and an everyday limb
Everyday prosthetics are designed to meet the needs of routine life activities such as walking on flat surfaces, sitting, and doing household tasks. They focus on comfort and lightweight design, providing the person with stability during routine daily use.
While sports prosthetics are specifically designed to withstand the high pressures and repeated rapid movements associated with different sports, lightweight, high-strength materials such as carbon fiber are used in the manufacture of these limbs to provide the flexibility and durability necessary for sports performance, due to these differences, individuals who engage in sports activities often need to use sports-specific prosthetics in addition to the daily prosthesis to ensure optimal performance and safety while practicing sports.
Types of prosthetics used in different sports
Sports prosthetics are not only compensatory tools but are also designed to enable athletes to engage in high-performance competitions and physical activity, as their design takes into account the nature of each sport in terms of the type of movement, intensity of endurance and the degree of interaction with the ground or sports equipment, which makes them definitely different from the limbs intended for daily use. The development of these limbs relies on the use of advanced materials such as carbon fiber, which provides a balance between lightness and strength, along with advanced mechanical engineering that ensures high dynamic response and The following are the most prominent types according to the type of sport:
Prosthetics for running and racing: Carbon blades
Sports prosthetics of this type are one of the most popular because runners with a lower amputation use them, as they take the form of a curved blade made of carbon fiber and are known as “Flex-Foot Cheetah” by some companies such as Össur, this shape is excellent for storing kinetic energy during landing and then releasing it when pushing, mimicking the flexibility of the natural leg tendons. These blades are used in short and long sprints, including athletics and Paralympics.
Prosthetics for weightlifting and strength training
This type of sports prosthesis is designed to provide the athlete with high stability during performance, especially in exercises such as squats and deadlifts. This design focuses on strengthening and reinforcing the axis of the prosthesis, distributing its weight evenly on the base to prevent slipping or sudden loss of balance. Upper limbs used in strength training have hooks or stabilizers to grip the weights securely.
Customized prosthetics for cycling and tennis
In the sport of cycling, the goal is to achieve a stable and effective circular movement of the foot, so prosthetics are used that are installed directly on the bicycle pedal, taking into account the angle of connection and the length of the limb to achieve optimal balance, while in the sport of tennis, prosthetics depend on light weight and speed of response with the surface of the court, the athlete needs a high ability to change directions quickly, and this requires a flexible design that provides appropriate support for the athlete and protects him from injuries resulting from sudden and rapid movements that may expose him to injury.
Sports limb components and advanced technologies
Sports prosthetics are made up of several key components, including:
- Hollow: The part that connects the prosthesis to the body of the amputee athlete is specially designed to fit the shape of the amputee’s limb, providing comfort and stability during use.
- Lining: Liners like Össur’s Iceross Seal-In X are used to provide a comfortable barrier between the skin and the skate, reducing friction and increasing stability.
- Joints: Joints like Ottobock’s C-Leg 4 and Genium X3 use microprocessor-controlled joints to provide natural movement and dynamic response during high activity.
- Artificial foot: Feet like Össur’s Flex-Foot Cheetah are designed specifically for runners to provide strong propulsion and flexibility while running.
- Microprocessors: Placed within the prosthesis to control joint movement, provide immediate responses to changes in speed and direction, analyze the user’s movement pattern, and adjust the prosthesis’s response accordingly.
- Advanced materials: Materials like carbon fiber are used to provide the lightness and strength needed for athletic performance.
How is the prosthesis customized for each sport?
The design of sports prosthetics depends strictly on the type of sport, as each component is customized to fit and suit the requirements of physical performance and movement for the required activity, and these are the most important steps that determine how it is designed according to the type of sport:
Analyze the type of movement required
First, the medical and technical team analyzes the nature of the sport (such as running, weightlifting, or cycling) to determine the type of movement and support required for the limb, as well as the amount of repetition and intensity of the expected effort to minimize mechanical stress on the limb.
Choosing the right ingredients
The type of joint, foot and padding is chosen depending on the type of sport, for example, in running cases, arched carbon feet such as Flex-Foot Cheetah are used that provide high energy rebound for this case, and additional components such as non-slip grips or shock-absorbing surfaces are designed according to the type of exercise and the surface on which the limb is used.
Customization based on body composition and performance
Accurate measurements of the residual limb, the athlete’s weight and the type of effort expected depending on the sport are determined and taken to determine the shape of the wrist, the length of the limb and the type of joint, which may be static or dynamic, as well as taking into account the tolerance of the skin and tissues to the pressure of the limb and adopting light materials to minimize daily stress.
Performance simulation and motion testing
The limb is tested using computer systems that mimic an athlete’s performance to tweak the design before final manufacturing, ensuring fewer injuries and optimal performance, including balance patterns, bending, and springing tests to precisely customize the limb’s response to the body’s movement.
Design for the use environment
The nature of the field or environment (e.g., track, off-road, or indoor) is taken into account, and the limb is adapted accordingly, such as adding waterproofing or shock absorption depending on the situation and requirements, and incorporating insulation layers or heat and moisture-resistant technologies for outdoor use or long-term competitions.
The benefits of sports prosthetics for athletes
Sports prosthetics are an important factor in enabling amputee athletes to practice their activities with high performance, as they provide them with multiple benefits that go beyond just physical compensation to include other important aspects:
- Restore mobility and participation in sports: Sports prosthetics provide the opportunity to return to various sports activities such as running and weightlifting, which helps athletes maintain their fitness and physical balance and regain their normal lifestyle.
- Improve balance and muscle coordination: These sports prosthetics are designed to provide athletes with support and precision during movement, which improves muscle coordination and reduces the effort required during exercise, especially in repetitive or fast movements such as running and jumping.
- Enhances mental health and self-confidence: The advanced physical performance provided by these limbs reduces the perception of disability and increases the athlete’s self-confidence, which has a positive impact on mental health.
- Prevent injuries and improve physical sustainability: Advanced technologies help reduce stress on joints and bones and optimize weight distribution during exercise, reducing injuries associated with muscle strain or strenuous exercise.
- Support overall health and long-term fitness: Regular physical activity using sports prosthetics is an important way to maintain cardiorespiratory fitness and lower rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, especially among athletes exposed to a sedentary lifestyle after amputation.
Criteria for choosing the right sports prosthetics
The selection of a sports prosthesis is a careful process based on the functional needs of the athlete, the type of sport he/she is practicing, and the physical and psychological structure of the athlete, where the prosthesis is not only seen as a prosthetic tool but as an effective part of sports performance, one of the most important criteria:
Type of sport
The type of sport is the first factor in the design of sports prostheses. Limbs for running and racing often use flexible carbon blades that provide the athlete with high rebound and speed of movement, while limbs used in tennis or cycling require high stability, lateral flexibility and precise control of movement, high-impact sports such as running and soccer need limbs that absorb shocks and return energy efficiently, while static or limited movement sports such as weightlifting focus on stability and support more than flexibility.
Amputation level and location
The location of the amputation (below the knee, above the knee, or in the arms) directly affects the design of sports prosthetics. Below the knee amputation allows for preserving the natural knee joint, which increases the efficiency of the athlete, while above the knee amputation requires a smart artificial joint to ensure balance—making the task more difficult and complex. Lower limb amputations affect shock absorption and propulsion, while upper limbs require precise joints in sports prosthetics to mimic wrist or shoulder movement.
Weight and physique of the athlete
Muscle mass, height, and weight play an important role in determining the materials used, such as carbon and titanium, as these materials must provide a combination of stiffness and light weight to ensure joint integrity and not hinder the athlete’s performance.
Goal of use: Training or competition
Sports prostheses that are used for training focus on comfort and flexibility, while those for competition must conform to international standards (such as IPC – International Paralympic Committee) and are tuned to the highest level of precision. Some athletes have more than one prosthesis depending on the use.
Customization and personalization
Each athlete’s limb is customized to the athlete’s movement and can be continuously adjusted according to the different stages of training or rehabilitation as adjustments include changing the level of recoil, joint angle, and pressure distribution in a balanced manner.
Sports prosthetics are emerging as an innovative solution that combines technology and function to enable athletes to overcome disability and participate in various sports activities professionally and efficiently. With continuous developments in material design and customization according to the type of sport and user needs, sports prosthetics have become an integral part of the international and local competition arena, and while standards vary by type of sport and level of amputation, the common goal remains the restoration and enhancement of performance.
Sources:
- Össur. (n.d.). Sport solutions. Össur.
- MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Prosthetics through the ages. MedlinePlus Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2025
