Quality of life of persons with lower-limb amputation during rehabilitation and at 3-month follow-up

Abstract

Objective: To describe and compare the quality of life (QOL) of persons with lower-limb amputation (LLA) at admission (T1), discharge (T2), and 3 months after rehabilitation discharge (T3) and to explore the relationships between QOL and demographic and clinical variables including body image.

Design: Longitudinal case series.

Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation facility.

Participants: Consecutive sample of 19 unilateral persons with LLA (14 men, mean age, 53.4+/-14.6y).

Intervention: Interdisciplinary rehabilitation.

Main outcome measures: Generic and specific QOL measures and perception of body image at T1, T2, and T3.

Results: Subjective QOL was relatively high at T1, T2, and T3 (0.87/2, 1.1/2, and 1.0/2, respectively) except for items related to physical functioning. There was no significant change over time for all but 1 QOL satisfaction measure (ability to go outside, P=.024). Prosthesis-related QOL was high at discharge and follow-up. Body-image disturbances were absent over the study period. QOL satisfaction and prosthesis satisfaction were strongly related to lower-limb pain and psychosocial factors (eg, body image).

Conclusions: QOL of persons with LLA was high and remained relatively stable during inpatient rehabilitation and 3 months after discharge.