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Are Canadian prostheses used? A long-term experience
1Unidad de Prótesis, Servicio de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain. angel.fernandez@sespa.princast.es
Prosthetics and Orthotics International
|November 12, 2005
Summary
This study followed Canadian prosthesis users for 8 years. Over a third (34.7%) continued using their lower limb prosthesis, indicating long-term viability for some amputees.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Amputee Care
Background:
- The Canadian prosthesis is designed for proximal lower limb amputations (trans-femoral, hip disarticulation, hemipelvectomy).
- Patient rejection is common due to factors like socket intolerance, awkwardness, and high energy expenditure for ambulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the long-term use or rejection of Canadian prostheses.
- To evaluate outcomes after an 8-year follow-up period.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study analyzing 23 Canadian prosthesis cases.
- Follow-up duration ranged from 2 to 16 years.
- Data collected on patient demographics, etiology of amputation, prosthesis usage, and reasons for rejection.
Main Results:
- 34.7% of subjects (8 out of 23) continued using the Canadian prosthesis throughout the study.
- Average daily use among users was 12.5 hours.
- Rejection occurred at a median of 20 months, with causes including death, socket intolerance, and ambulation difficulties.
- Gender, age, and amputation etiology were not significant predictors of prosthesis use.
Conclusions:
- Despite challenges, a significant minority (34.7%) of patients continue to use the Canadian prosthesis long-term.
- Prosthesis use extends many years beyond initial rehabilitation discharge.
- Factors influencing long-term use require further investigation beyond demographics and etiology.