Symposium topic
Paralympic athletics is a unique field where human performance results from the interaction between athlete’s body and advanced prosthetic/orthotic/assistive technologies. Recent advances in biomechanics and engineering have improved understanding of running-specific prostheses (RSPs), particularly in sprinting and long jumping. Challenges remain regarding methods, such as wearable sensors and markerless techniques, RSP stiffness and alignment, and issues such as socket safety, residual limb health, contralateral overloads, and fall risks, with young athletes being under-researched. This symposium presents the state of the art and ongoing activities for translating elite sport knowledge into accessible technologies to advance performance and inclusive participation.
Underpinning science and theory
The underpinning science of Paralympic athletics is multidisciplinary and evidence-based, integrating biomechanics, motor control, rehabilitation engineering, exercise physiology, sports medicine, classification, and psychology. Biomechanics and prosthetic engineering explain athlete–technology interaction, performance, and injury risk, while physiology and medicine support training and injury prevention. Classification ensures fairness, and psychological adaptation strengthens resilience and embodiment. Together, these sciences provide the theoretical foundation for improving performance, safety, accessibility, and inclusion in Paralympic sports.
Relevance for the ISPO World Congress
Paralympic athletics represents a unique and fascinating field for investigating human adaptability. Athletes’ performance provides valuable insight into biomechanical adaptations in locomotion under extreme conditions, improving scientific knowledge and the advancement of prosthetic/orthotic technologies.
Perspectives
Presenters will share their background and recent experiences in Paralympic athletics. Prof. Hobara will present the biomechanical knowledge evolution of Paralympic sprinters equipped with Running Specific Prostheses. Dr. Di Marco will present body protocols for collecting kinematic and kinetic data on sprinters, focusing on transition to wearable and markerless technologies. Prof. Petrone will address static and fatigue testing of prosthetic feet/socket for safety improvement of components and international standards. Prof. Potthast will discuss aspects of discipline-specific musculo-skeletal loading in relation to maturity status and needs of young athletes. The contribution of athlete Johannes Floors is planned, according to his Competitions calendar.
Learning objectives
Participant to the Symposium will have the possibility to learn which are the fundamental knowledges achieved by researchers in the field of RSP, biomechanics of Para-athletics, motion capture with emerging technologies and safety structural testing of standard and customized prosthetic sport components.
