Percutaneous Osseointegrated Prostheses for Transfemoral Amputations

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Traditional prosthetic sockets for transfemoral amputees present challenges with suspension, fit, and comfort.
• These limitations can hinder physiological weight bearing, range of motion, and sensory feedback.
• Osseointegration offers a direct skeletal attachment, potentially overcoming these drawbacks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the osseointegration program in Sweden for transfemoral amputation rehabilitation.
• To detail the patient evaluation, surgical technique, and rehabilitation protocol for bone-anchored prostheses.
• To present outcomes from a prospective study evaluating this approach.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a patient-centered evaluation process.
• Surgical technique for direct skeletal attachment of the prosthesis.
• Comprehensive postoperative rehabilitation protocol.

Main Results:

• Direct skeletal attachment of osseointegrated prostheses avoids socket suspension problems.
• Patients experience physiological weight bearing and improved proximal joint range of motion.
• Osseoperceptive sensor feedback enhances artificial limb control for amputees.

Conclusions:

• Osseointegration provides a viable alternative to traditional socket-based prostheses for transfemoral amputees.
• The Swedish program demonstrates successful patient-centered evaluation, surgical, and rehabilitation strategies.
• Bone-anchored prostheses significantly improve functional outcomes and limb control in amputee rehabilitation.