Thoracic spine deformation may predict prosthetic rehabilitation outcome

A considerable number of patients require prosthetic ambulation, which necessitates improvements in the success rate of prosthetics.

This study aimed to determine the association between the presence of thoracic spinal osteophyte on imaging and the patient's ability to walk with lower leg prosthetics.

Retrospective cohort study.

This study included 15 patients with lower leg amputations who underwent prosthetic rehabilitation. Medical records and spine radiographs of patients with lower leg amputations between 2013 and 2019 at a private rehabilitation hospital were reviewed. The primary outcome was achieving prosthetic ambulation with a single T-cane or without a walking aid.

Poor outcomes were associated with the presence of thoracic spinal deformation (P = 0.007) and the lower Berg Balance Scale score at admission (P = .067) and discharge (P = .033) groups. Monte Carlo simulation results showed a ≥33% difference in walking achieving rate between patients with and without thoracic spinal deformity. In addition, an 18% probability was found for randomly selected persons with an amputation to show a difference of ≥1 point in Berg Balance Scale scores.

Thoracic spinal deformity on radiography and Berg Balance Scale score at admission are potentially associated with successful prosthetic rehabilitation. These findings potentially affect the indications for prosthetic limbs.