Reporting of Rehabilitation Outcomes in the Traumatic Lower Limb Amputation Literature: A Systematic Review

Evaluation of short-term functional mobility outcomes in patients with traumatic lower limb amputations: A prospective cohort study in India

BACKGROUND

Traumatic amputation of the lower limb is a significant life-changing event. It is associated with substantial functional disability.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the serial improvement in functional mobility outcomes after the rehabilitation provided to traumatic unilateral lower limb amputee (TULLA) over 6 months of follow-up.

METHODS

It is a prospective observational cohort study including 106 TULLA performed in a tertiary care trauma center in North India from January 2021 to December 2021. Patients were followed up at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months post-surgery in the focused amputee clinic, where functional mobility care was provided by physical rehabilitation and prosthesis application and patients were evaluated using the Locomotors Capabilities Index (LCI-5) and L-Test of functional mobility.

RESULTS

There was a significant improvement in LCI-5 and L-Test from discharge to follow-up. The mean overall LCI-5 scores were 14.68 ± 6.56, 28.29 ± 9.04 and 42.77 ± 8.94 at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months respectively. The mean L-test for overall individuals with limb loss (N = 100) at discharge, 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months were 178.41 ± 49.62, 126.98 ± 37.76, 98.39 ± 30.09 and 72.82 ± 21.03 respectively. Further, a subgroup analysis showed a significant improvement in LCI-5 and L-test in individuals with above-knee and below-knee limb loss with prostheses compared to those without prostheses.

CONCLUSION

Our multidisciplinary approach helps to improve functional mobility outcomes among TULLA. Focused amputee clinics are the need of the hour to achieve successful functional mobility following amputation.

Outcomes of Patients with Lower Limb Loss after Using a Training Prosthesis: A Retrospective Case Series Study

The aim of this retrospective case series study was to investigate outcomes in patients with lower limb loss based on whether or not they used a training prosthesis (TP) during rehabilitation. The medical records of 171 consecutive patients admitted to rehabilitation hospitalization between January 2014 and December 2018 following a major amputation of the lower limb were reviewed. Patients were categorized into two groups: patients who underwent rehabilitation with a TP and patients who did not use a TP. Outcomes (i.e., discharge destination, length of stay, number of sockets required, and number of the size adaptation of each socket, as well as functional level) were compared between groups. Of the 171 patients, 126 underwent rehabilitation with a TP, and 45 patients underwent rehabilitation without any TP. In conclusion, we found that patients who used a TP had a significantly shorter hospital length of stay when compared to those who did not. This length of stay for patients with TP was not influenced by age but was lowered by a higher body mass index (BMI), tibial instead of femoral amputation, and the male gender. No association was found between the use of TP and discharge destination, functional level, number of socket modifications, and number of sockets required.