The needs and unique problems facing spinal cord injured persons after limb amputation

Among hundreds of spinal cord injured patients (SCIP) who have been rehabilitated in the Sir Ludwig Guttmann Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the Sheba Medical Centre, Tel Hashomer; we only found six patients who had lost one or more limbs (upper or lower limbs). Although many plastic and orthopaedic surgeons regard paralytic limbs as useless appendages, we cannot agree with this erroneous viewpoint and we find that the clinical and psychological effects of the absence of limb(s) are tremendous. The six case reports are given together with a brief review of the relevant literature.