Comparison of removable rigid dressing and elastic bandage in reducing the residual limb volume of below knee amputees

Abstract

Objective: Compare the reducing volumes of the residual limbs between the removable rigid dressing method and the elastic bandaging technique.

Study design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

Material and method: Twenty-six below-the-knee amputees (11 men (42.3%) and 15 women (57.69%)) who were informed and gave written consents were included in this study. The mean age was 68.19 +/- 10.83 years. The patients who met the eligible criteria were randomized into two groups. Fourteen subjects (53.8%) were in the EB group and 12 (46.2%) in the RRD group. The first group was taught to use a removable rigid dressing (RRD) while the second group was taught to use an elastic bandage (EB) for stump shaping and volume reduction. Both groups were trained with the same pre-prosthetic program. The circumference of the stump was measured and calculated for volume at the beginning, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. The volume reduction was compared between the two groups.

Results: Twenty subjects were amputated on the right side (76.92%). The majority underlying was diabetes mellitus (80.77%). Fifteen cases of amputation were peripheral vascular disease (57.69%). The stump volume reduction of the RRD group at 2 and 4 weeks were 42.73 +/- 62.70 and 79.9 +/- 103.33 cm3, respectively. The stump volume reduction of the EB group were 21.89 +/- 118.49 and 83.03 +/- 113.05 cm3, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences of volume reduction between the two groups at 4 weeks.

Conclusion: Removable rigid dressing had a tendency to reduce residual limb volume of below knee amputees faster than elastic bandage at 2 weeks but the decreasing volumes were not different at 4 weeks.