In most years, Amplitude’s most heavily trafficked pages are dominated by two subjects: relationships and entertainment. Both of those themes are well represented among 2024’s ten best-read articles. In fact, one movie-related article ascended to the top 10 despite not being published until November 1, about 55 days ago. Its view count whizzed past dozens of stories that have been accumulating traffic four or five times as long.
However, a couple of new topics rose to the very top of the list in 2024, fueled in part by a major global event. That burst of readership helped spur Amplitude’s online traffic to new heights yet again: For the sixth straight year, we established new records for overall users, pageviews, Google search hits, and newsletter clicks. Thanks to everyone for helping Amplitude stay on a growth path.
We won’t be publishing on New Year’s Day, so the first newsletter of 2025 will hit your inbox on January 8. See you then.
10 Most-Read Amplitude Articles of 2024
10. Prototype Smart Socket Shows Promise
Researchers at the University of Washington published results of an early trial involving a smart socket that can detect pressure changes in real time and automatically adjust the fit in response to changes in leg volume. Published June 18 / digital only
9. Why Do Women Get Less Effective Limb Care?
A pair of studies showed that women a) wait 33 percent longer than men to receive their first prosthesis, and b) are less satisfied with their prosthesis on both function and aesthetics. Published April 24 / digital only
8. Losing a Limb Helped Me Find My Way to Love
After losing his right leg above the knee, former Bachelorette contestant Cam Ayala became much better at accepting and loving himself—and that made him better able to find and receive love from others. Published in the January/February print edition.
7. Unstoppable Gets the Green Light
The biopic of one-legged wrestler Anthony Robles attracted one of the world’s most bankable actors, a supporting cast of award-winning performers, an Oscar-nominated director, and one of the film industry’s buzziest production companies. Published in the November/December print edition.
6. How Many Amputees Are There? More Than You Think.
The Amputee Coalition commissioned the first study in 15 years to gauge the size and composition of the US limb-loss population, and it found that previous estimates were far too low. Published February 21 / digital only.
5. Is Dateability the Best Amputee Dating App Ever?
Tired of weeding through clueless nondisabled matches on standard dating apps, a single woman with a disability launched a dating platform exclusively for people with disabilities—and it was an instant success. Published February 14 / digital only.
4. Do Running Blades Give Amputee Athletes an Unfair Advantage?
People have been arguing about this ever since Oscar Pistorius began racing nondisabled sprinters 20 years ago. Here’s what the science says. Published April 15 / digital only.
3. Why Do Prosthetics Cost So Much?
The average new family sedan retails for about $30,000, but the average microprocessor leg costs about twice that amount. What cost drivers make the prosthesis so expensive? Published in the March / April print edition.
2. Guide to the 2024 Paralympic Games
In advance of the 2024 Summer Paralympics, we previewed which US amputees were most likely to compete for medals. A lot of our predictions turned out to be right on the money. Published in the July / August print edition.
1. Paralympic Parables: Words of Wisdom From US Paralympians
Elite amputee athletes manage the same limb-care issues you do, fight the same healthcare battles, deal with the same cultural stereotypes, and endure the same emotional ups and downs. Here’s how they deal with it. Published in the July / August print edition.
