Evaluation of disabilities and activities of daily living of war-related bilateral lower extremity amputees.

BACKGROUND

Long-term consequences and the activities of daily living of bilateral lower limb amputation are not well documented.

OBJECTIVES

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.