Prosthesis receipt is associated with improved participation and pain interference following upper limb amputation

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Pain Management

Background:

• Upper limb amputation (ULA) presents challenges in resuming daily activities.
• Prostheses can enhance physical function and well-being post-amputation.
• Understanding the impact of prosthesis receipt on social participation and pain is crucial for patient recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between prosthesis receipt and the Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities (APSRA).
• To examine the impact of prosthesis use on Pain Interference (PI) following ULA.
• To evaluate changes in APSRA and PI within twelve months of prosthesis receipt.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional review of outcomes from US private prosthetic clinics.
• Inclusion criteria: outcome data collected before and within 12 months after prosthesis receipt.
• Analysis accounted for confounders: age, hours worn, sex, amputation level, and time since amputation.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in average APSRA scores from baseline (41.5±8.2) to follow-up (46.7±9.1, p<0.001).
• Significant reduction in average PI scores from baseline (58.5±8.5) to follow-up (54.9±9.3, p<0.001).
• These improvements remained significant after adjusting for potential confounding variables.

Conclusions:

• Prosthesis receipt positively impacts individuals' capacity for activity and social participation.
• Improved participation coincided with a decrease in pain interference.
• Findings support prosthesis use as a valuable intervention for enhancing outcomes after ULA.