Article

OBJECTIVES: (1) To compare the prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal pain
in upper-limb amputees (ULAs) in Norway with that of a control group drawn from
the Norwegian general population; (2) to describe musculoskeletal pain
bothersomeness in ULAs; (3) to estimate the association between prosthesis wear
and self-reported musculoskeletal pain in ULAs; and (4) to describe the
occurrence of musculoskeletal overuse syndromes in a sample of ULAs. Cross-sectional study: postal questionnaires and clinical examinations. SETTING:
Norwegian ULA population. Clinical examinations performed at 3 clinics.
PARTICIPANTS: Questionnaires: population-based amputee sample (n=224; 57.4%
response rate). Random control sample (n=318; 33.1% response rate). Clinical
examinations: combined referred sample and convenience sample (n=70; 83.3% of
those invited). Survey inclusion criteria: adult, resident in Norway and
mastering Norwegian (amputees and controls), acquired major upper-limb amputation
(amputees only). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Self-reported musculoskeletal pain and pain bothersomeness. Self-reported pain in
prosthesis wearers and nonwearers. Clinically assessed diagnoses of
musculoskeletal overuse syndromes. RESULTS: Self-reported musculoskeletal pain
was more frequent in ULAs than in the control group except for lower back pain.
In ULAs, 57.0% reported neck/upper back pain (odds ratio [OR]=2.56; 95%
confidence interval [CI], 1.64-3.98), and 58.9% reported shoulder pain (OR=4.00;
95% CI, 2.51-6.36). The percentage difference for arm pain was 24.8% (P<.001).
All pain was reported as bothersome. We found no difference in pain prevalence
between prosthesis wearers and nonwearers. Musculoskeletal overuse syndromes were
found in 6.1% to 24.2% of ULAs, depending on diagnosis and case-definition
criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Upper-limb loss increases the risk of self-reported
musculoskeletal pain in the neck/upper back, shoulders, and in the remaining arm.
Prosthesis wear does not prevent musculoskeletal pain. Further studies should be
conducted to investigate the effects of prosthesis wear and possible preventive
measures, and to ascertain our preliminary prevalence estimates of overuse
syndromes.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS