Outcomes of Patients with Lower Limb Loss after Using a Training Prosthesis: A Retrospective Case Series Study

The aim of this retrospective case series study was to investigate outcomes in patients with lower limb loss, based on whether or not they used a training prosthesis (TP) during their rehabilitation. The medical records of 171 consecutive patients admitted to rehabilitation hospitalization between January 2014 and December 2018 following a major amputation of the lower limb were reviewed. Patients were categorized into two groups: patients who underwent rehabilitation with a TP and patients who did not used a TP. Outcomes (i.e. discharge destination, length of stay, number of sockets required and number of size adaptation of each socket as well as functional level) were compared between groups. Of the 171 patients, 126 underwent rehabilitation with a TP, and 45 patients underwent rehabilitation without any TP. We found that patients who used a TP had a significantly shorter hospital length of stay when compared to those who did not. This length of stay for patients with TP was not influenced by age but was lowered by higher BMI, tibial instead of femoral amputation and male gender. No association was found between use of TP and discharge destination, functional level, number of socket modification and number of sockets required.