A Clinical Assessment of Immediate Pnstoperative Fitting of Prosthesis for Amputee Rehabilitation

Twenty-three patients were fitted with immediate postoperative prostheses following lower extremity amputations. Their reactions to the management program from the preoperative phase until discharge with a permanent prosthesis were recorded. Particular attention was paid to the condition of the stump, the proximal limb, the walking pattern, and to any information which the patient volunteered about pain. The findings confirmed earlier reports that the immediate postoperative fitting of a prosthesis is superior to conventional methods of amputee management. The most important findings were 1) significant reductions in postoperative edema and pain, 2) early fitting of the permanent prosthesis, and 3) apparent reduction in psychological trauma.