An audit of the quality of the stump and its relation to rehabilitation in lower limb amputees.

An audit was undertaken amongst the lower limb (adult) amputees, 60 unilateral transfemoral (TF) and 72 unilateral trans-tibial (TT), who attended a Disablement Services Centre (DSC) during a one year period, to determine whether amputees with better quality stumps (as assessed by a scoring system used at the Centre) achieve better outcome from prosthetic rehabilitation and whether there is any relation between the construction of the stumps and the grade of surgeons. At eighteen months (minimum follow up of six months) there were 31 (52%) TF and 54 (75%) TT amputees wearing prostheses. Some 44 amputees with Grade A stumps (score of 60 and over, out of a possible 100) needed 154 days to achieve the predicted mobility grade, 15 (34%) of them needed alteration of prosthesis, attended the Centre every 42 days and achieved the activity score of -25.7; 41 amputees with Grade B stumps (scores less than 60) needed 206 days to achieve the predicted mobility grade, 24 (58.5%) of them needed alteration of prosthesis, attended the Centre every 29 days and achieved the activity score of -39.1 (less active than Grade A). The trainee surgeons (registrars, staff grade surgeons and SHOs) produced 26 Grade A stumps out of 67 amputations (40%) and the Consultants and the Senior Registrars (senior team) produced 37 Grade A stumps out of 65 amputations (57%). However, only 36% of amputees were prescribed prostheses at their first attendance (60% Grade A, and 40% Grade B).