Predictive factors of functional ability after lower-limb amputation

Functional ability and accommodation situation were studied by personal interview and examination of 125 surviving lower-limb amputees after one postoperative year. Among ten independent variables studied by multiple linear regression analysis, an unfavourable association was found between increasing age and the following aspects of physical function: walking distance (P less than 0.001), walking time (P less than 0.001), amount of outdoor walking outdoors (P less than 0.001), increased need for aids to ambulation (P less than 0.01), use of a prosthesis (P less than 0.05). Using a partial correlation coefficient analysis of functional ability and accommodation situation, with adjustment for age, the time lag between surgery and prosthetic fitting, and the occurrence of cerebrovascular disease displayed a similar unfavourable association with prosthetic usage. In the group of BK (below-knee) amputees the length of the stump had a significant favourable relationship with walking distance (P less than 0.01). In the male group of vascular BK amputees, smoking had an unfavourable association with walking distance (P less than 0.01), ability to walk outdoors (P less than 0.01) and walking time (P less than 0.05). None of the variables showed any significant relationship with the postoperative accommodation situation.