Demographic and clinical features of our lower limb amputee patients

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to present demographic and clinical features of lower limb amputee patients who consulted to our orthopedic rehabilitation out patient-clinic, and to explore the related variables with functional situation in respect of amputation reason. Material and Methods: Demographic data, and clinic data of patients related to amputation and prosthesis use were recorded. Related variables with functional situation and quality of life were explored with composing two groups according to vascular and traumatic amputation reasons. Functional situation was evaluated with walking-speed with prothesis (meters/second) and 6-minute-walk-test(meters). Beck-Depression-inventory, Amputee-body-image-scale, and Short-Form-36(SF-36) were asked for replying by the patients. Results: Seventy one patients with mean age of 54,2 ±17,5 years (15-85) were evaluated. Time elapsed since amputation was 113.4 ±49.8, and mean time of prosthesis use was 84.8 ±24.8 months. Sixty two patients (%87.3) were male, and nine patients (%12.7) were female. It was detected that there were vascular amputation in 42 (%59.2), and traumatic amputation in 29 patients (%40.8). Walking-speed was 0.3 ± 0.3 m/s in vascular group, 0.9 ± 0.5 m/s in traumatic group, 6-minute-walk-distance was 60m in vascular, 246m in traumatic group(p<0.05). SF-36 physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, and general health subscores were significantly low in vascular amputees (p<0.05).Conclusion: It was detected that functional situation and quality-of-life physical function, role limitations due to physical problems and general health subscores of amputee caused by peripheral vascular reasons were lower than amputee caused by traumatic reasons. Keeping in mind these results will be beneficial for setting the targets of rehabilitation in lower limb amputee when rehabilitation programmes are arranged. Copyright © 2011 by Türk Tibbi Rehabilitasyon Kurumu Derne?i.