Press-Fit Bone-Anchored Prosthesis for Individuals with Transtibial Amputation

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Transtibial amputations, often due to trauma or disease, frequently lead to limited mobility and prosthesis use.
• Socket-related problems at the residual limb interface cause pain, instability, and gait asymmetry.
• Bone-anchored prostheses offer a solution for substantial improvements in mobility and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the surgical technique for bone-anchored prosthesis implantation.
• To evaluate the outcomes and complications associated with this procedure.
• To compare bone-anchored prostheses to traditional socket-suspended prostheses.

Main Methods:

• Single-stage surgical procedure with custom-made implant planning.
• Intramedullary component insertion with fluoroscopic guidance and transverse locking screws.
• Postoperative imaging, rehabilitation protocol, and long-term follow-up.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in prosthetic use (Q-TFA PUS) and quality of life (Q-TFA GS) were observed.
• High implant survival rate (95.5% at 5 years) with rare major complications.
• Soft-tissue infections were the most common complication, typically treatable with antibiotics.

Conclusions:

• Bone-anchored prostheses provide acceptable mid-term results, particularly for nonvascular amputations.
• The single-stage procedure is effective and offers advantages in cost and convenience.
• This technique represents a significant advancement for patients with transtibial amputations struggling with conventional prostheses.