Article

Community mobility of individuals following lower limb
amputation is highly variable and has a great impact on their quality of life.
Currently, clinical assessments of ambulatory ability and motivation influence
prosthetic prescription. However, these outcome measures do not effectively
quantify community mobility (ie, mobility outside of the clinic) of individuals
with an amputation. Advances in global positioning systems (GPSs) and other
wearable step-monitoring devices allow for objective, quantifiable measurement of
community mobility. This case report will examine the combined use of a GPS unit
and a step activity monitor to quantify community mobility and social interaction
of an individual with transfemoral amputation due to dysvascular disease. CASE
DESCRIPTION: A 76-year-old woman with a unilateral transfemoral amputation due to
vascular disease carried a commercial GPS unit and step activity monitor to
quantify her community mobility and social interaction every day over a period of
1 month. The step activity monitor was affixed to her prosthesis. The patient
used a wheelchair as well as her prosthesis for everyday mobility. OUTCOME:
Information from the GPS unit and step activity monitor provided quantitative
details on the patient's steps taken in and out of the home, wheelchair use,
prosthesis use, driving trips, and time spent on social and community trips.
DISCUSSION: This case report describes a potential clinical measurement procedure
for quantifying community mobility and social interaction of an individual with
lower limb amputation. Future efforts are needed to validate this measurement
tool on large sample sizes and in individuals with different mobility levels.
Additionally, automatization of data analysis and technological approaches to
reduce compromised GPS signals may eventually lead to a practical, clinically
useful tool.

Langue : ANGLAIS