Combined arm-leg ergometry in persons with a lower limb amputation

Having a lower limb amputation mostly results in a severe decline in physical fitness at the start of a rehabilitation program. Individual prescription of the optimal training dose during the rehabilitation program after a lower limb amputation should be possible. For an optimal exercise test it is important to apply a testing protocol that involves the largest possible active muscle mass during exercise. The Cruiser ergometer is a combined arm-leg ergometer and persons with a lower limb amputation can exercise with two arms and one leg when they don’t have a prosthesis at the start of the rehabilitation program. The conclusion of this thesis is that the Cruiser ergometer is a valid, feasible, safe, and reliable instrument to measure the physical fitness in healthy persons an persons with a lower limb amputation. There is evidence for motor learning when using the Cruiser ergometer for the first time in exercise testing. Before the peak exercise test, sufficient practice on the Cruiser ergometer is advised. The Cruiser ergometer seems also suitable as a training instrument. The first ventilatory threshold determined after an exercise test on the Cruiser ergometer can be helpful in prescribing exercise intensity for a training program after a lower limb amputation. However, the Cruiser ergometer is out of production. In this thesis recommendations are done for an updated version of the Cruiser ergometer and with this new ergometer testing and training protocols for persons with a lower limb amputation can be developed.