Article

Long-term consequences and the activities of daily living of
bilateral lower limb amputation are not well documented.
The aims of
our study were to identify the long-term effects of bilateral lower extremity
amputations on daily activities and understand how these amputees cope with their
mobility assistive devices. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total
of 291 veterans with war bilateral lower limb amputations accepted to participate
in a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: The average of follow-up was 25.4 years. A
total of 152 amputees (54%) were involved in sports averagely 6.7 h per week.
Bilateral amputees walk 10 m by the average of 15 +/- 33 s, and they could walk
continuously with their prosthesis 315 +/- 295 m. They wore their prosthesis 6.8
+/- 1.7 days per week and 7.9 +/- 8.1 h per day. Of these, 6.7% of bilateral
lower limb amputees needed help to wear their prosthesis; 88.3% of amputees used
assistant device for walking. According to this survey, 73 (42%) prostheses in
right limb were appropriate, 95 (54.6%) needed to be replaced, and 6 (3.4) needed
to be fixed. On the left side, it was 76 (42%), 92 (52.0%), and 9 (5.1%),
respectively. A total of 203 (74.9%) amputees reported limitations in at least
one domain of the activities of daily living. The most common single item that
affected the patients was ascending and descending stairs by the score of 66% of
normal population. CONCLUSION: Veterans with bilateral lower limb amputations
suffering from vast categories of daily problems. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study
and its results confirm that bilateral lower limb amputees have major progressive
disabilities in daily activities and their social performance. This should
attract the attention of amputees' administrative organizations, social workers,
health-care providers and caregiver providers.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

Langue : ANGLAIS