Comparison of long jump GRFs and “flex over shape” curves of able-bodied and paralympic amputee athletes

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024) Running-specific prostheses (RSPs) have enabled people with lower limb amputations to substantially increase their performance in sports competitions. Long jumping is one of the disciplines in which prostheses are enabling athletes to compete at the highest level, achieving performance comparable to that of able-bodied athletes. The aim of the current work is to analyze long jumping biomechanics of two able bodied athletes and of an elite Paralympic transtibial athlete, focusing on Ground Reaction Forces (GRFs) and Roll Over Shape (ROS). Data collected will be used by orthopedic technicians to optimize the RPS setup, by trainers to improve athletes performance and by engineers for in-vitro RSP correct mechanical characterization.</p