Hip disarticulation leg, built from a moulded pelvic socket down

Who walks well at hip level, honestly

Many people walk on a hip level leg, especially younger people and those who lost the leg to an accident or a tumour. It takes more effort than any other level, and walking is slower. Some users choose crutches for speed in daily life and wear the leg for standing at work, at weddings or at the mosque. Both are good outcomes.

At the assessment we look at strength, balance and what you want to do, and we tell you what is realistic. If we think the leg would end up unused, we say so before you spend anything.

The socket is everything

The pelvic socket wraps around the pelvis above the hip bones and supports you through the sitting bone on the amputated side. It has to grip firmly enough to control the leg, yet let you sit comfortably on a chair and on a car seat. A leg that hurts when you sit is soon left in a cupboard, so sitting comfort is something we test at every trial fitting.

Heat is a real issue in Pakistani summers. Lighter frame sockets with cut-outs and breathable inner layers help, and short breaks to dry the skin are part of daily routine.

Learning to walk

Walking starts with learning to tilt the pelvis to swing the leg forward and to trust the hip and knee as you stand on them. Training begins between parallel bars, then moves to crutches or a stick, sitting down and standing up, and finally stairs one at a time. Expect more sessions than for other levels, and daily practice at home in between.

Hemipelvectomy and other complex levels

After a hemipelvectomy, where part of the pelvis is removed, the same principles apply but the socket has to take weight on soft tissue, the opposite pelvis and sometimes the lower ribs. These legs are assessed case by case, often together with your surgeon, and take more trial fittings.