Prosthetic Outcome of Unilateral Lower Limb Amputee Soldiers in Two Districts of Sri Lanka

In Brief The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prosthetic outcome of unilateral lower limb amputee soldiers and to identify factors affecting prosthesis use. Selected unilateral above-knee (AK) and below-knee (BK) amputee soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (n = 461) who had completed prosthetic training were evaluated using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The theoretical model, PRECEDE (predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors in educational diagnosis and evaluation), was used as the framework to identify factors affecting prosthetic use. A majority was BK amputees (413, 89.6%). Mean age of amputees at the time of the study was 30.2 (± 4.6) years. All 48 (100%) AK amputees and 410 (99.3%) of 413 BK amputees were wearing prostheses at least 1 day per week. BK amputees showed higher mean hours of wearing per day (11.0 ± 3.9) compared with AK amputees (8.2 ± 4.2; P <.001). Of the prosthesis wearers, 196 (42%) performed all indoor mobilizations and 292 (62.8%) performed all outdoor mobilizations wearing a prosthesis. Wheelchair use for indoor and outdoor mobilizations was minimal (<5%). A majority did not use any technical aid for walking indoors (308, 66.4%) or outdoors (270, 58.2%). Higher level of amputation, presence of problems in the residual limb, and problems with the unaffected leg were factors that significantly reduced prosthesis use indoors and outdoors. The inability to wear a prosthesis alone was a factor associated with less use indoors, and nonparticipation in sports/social work was a factor significantly associated with less prosthesis use outdoors. It was concluded that prosthesis use was satisfactory but could be improved. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prosthetic outcome of unilateral lower limb amputee soldiers and to identify factors affecting prosthesis use. Theoretical model PRECEDE (predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors in educational diagnosis and evaluation) was used to identify factors affecting prosthetic use in above-knee and below-knee amputee soldiers who had completed prosthetic training. The authors found that prosthesis use was satisfactory but could be improved.