Early upper-extremity prosthetic fit in patients with burns

Patients with upper-extremity amputations necessitated by burn injury have frequently faced delays in prosthetic fit. At the Regional Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee, seven patients required amputations because of burns. These injuries were electrical in four cases, thermal and crush in one case, thermal in one case, and steam and crush in one case. Five patients had below-elbow amputations, one had a bilateral below-elbow amputation, and one had a bilateral above-elbow amputation. All patients were fitted with prostheses within 30 days of the last definitive surgery on the amputated extremity. All patients continued to wear a prosthesis and no patient exhibited skin breakdown. Patients returned to independence with self care within 2 weeks and to preamputation activities within an average of 2.5 months.