Article

Patients who undergo transfemoral amputation after infection of a
total knee arthroplasty do not have good functional outcomes and have major
difficulty walking. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the quality of life and walking
ability among patients who underwent amputation and among those who refused to
undergo amputation following infection of a total knee arthroplasty. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Patients who received an indication
for amputation following an infection of a total knee arthroplasty were evaluated
retrospectively. The patients were divided between those who accepted the
amputation procedure and those who refused amputation (four amputee vs four
non-amputees). Walking ability and quality of life were evaluated using the Short
Form-36 questionnaire. RESULTS: The average physical health was 27.4 for the
amputees and 31.3 for the non-amputees. The average mental health was 49.9 for
the amputees and 47.1 for the non-amputees. In relation to walking ability, only
one (25%) of the amputees was able to walk, as opposed to 100% in the non-amputee
groups. CONCLUSION: Twenty-five percent of the amputee patients continued to be
able to walk. The functional outcome of non-amputee patients was better, with
100% being able to walk, though with limitations. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is the
first study evaluating patients who refused the amputation procedure and remained
with the spacer. Despite the fact that this option is not recommended by the
medical community, we believe that these data are useful when discussing, with a
patient, quality of life after amputation.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

Langue : ANGLAIS