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. 2023;55(2):2258915.
doi: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2258915. Epub 2023 Sep 22.

Mobility and postural limitations perceived by transtibial amputees undertaking agricultural activities: a qualitative study

Y Ortega Bedoya  1 , V Mejía Londoño  1 , E Rendón Vélez  1 , F Valencia Legarda  2 , J A Plata-Contreras  3
Affiliations

Mobility and postural limitations perceived by transtibial amputees undertaking agricultural activities: a qualitative study

Y Ortega Bedoya et al. Ann Med. 2023.

Abstract

Purpose: In Colombia, 98% of landmines occur in rural areas, where the main victims of amputation are farmers. The challenges these amputees face in their agricultural work remain unknown. The aim of this study is to determine the mobility and postural limitations these farmers face in carrying out their daily activities.

Method: Forty-nine participants meeting the following criteria were interviewed: transtibial amputee, 18 years and over, performs agricultural labour and wears the prosthesis daily. Subsequently, the interview transcripts were subjected to a content conventional analysis and responses were organized according to the abstraction process to identify categories and subcategories of the problems.

Results: Main problems reported were walking on sloping, uneven and wet terrain, problems associated with the stump skin, squatting, kneeling, using vehicles or animals for transportation and carrying objects over 30 kg. Postures such as sitting, running, jumping, and standing on tiptoes were mentioned less frequently.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the prostheses worn by transtibial amputee farmers are not suitable for working on sloping and uneven terrain, nor for performing postures such as kneeling or squatting. These postures are very common in agricultural and livestock tasks in countries with mountainous areas such as Latin American countries. The recognition of problems reported by farmers transtibial amputees, may help to improve the design of prostheses so that they meet the needs of this population and decrease secondary injuries associated with prosthetic use. This information is useful to identify compensatory postures that facilitate prosthetic adaptation and rehabilitation for amputees.

Keywords: Transtibial amputation; agricultural activities; content analysis; farmer; mobility problems; postural limitations; prosthesis.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Bar chart with title “Mobility and postural limitations perceived by transtibial amputees undertaking agricultural activities”. There are 11 bars in descending degree where the largest bar is walking. On the left side it shows numbers from 0 to 100 that indicating the frequency of mention in percentage.
Figure 1.
Frequency of mobility and postural limitations perceived by transtibial amputees undertaking agricultural activities.
Tree diagram with three levels or columns, the right-hand column lists “Difficulties when walking” as the main category, from which 10 general categories are displayed in the middle column. In the left column 37 subcategories are presented.
Figure 2.
Problems reported by transtibial amputees when walking on different terrains.
Tree diagram with three levels or columns, the right-hand column lists “Problems with the skin of the stump” as the main category, from which 3 general categories are displayed in the middle column. In the left column 10 subcategories are presented.
Figure 3.
Problems that transtibial amputees present on the stump skin.
Tree diagram with two levels or columns, the one on the right mentions as Main category “Difficulties Squatting or bending over”, from there 6 subcategories are displayed in the left column.
Figure 4.
Problems reported by transtibial amputees while squatting.
Silhouette of a transtibial amputee flexing the trunk more than 60° and slightly bending the knees while planting.
Figure 5.
Postures adopted by transtibial amputees to reach for objects on the floor.
Tree diagram with three levels or columns, the right-hand column lists “Problems using vehicles” as the main category, from which 3 general categories are displayed in the middle column. In the left column 11 subcategories are presented.
Figure 6.
Problems reported by transtibial amputees when using vehicles and animals as a means of transport.
Silhouette of a transtibial amputee sitting in a chair behind another chair. The knee of the amputated limb is extended.
Figure 7.
Posture adopted by transtibial amputees when traveling on buses.
Tree diagram with two levels or columns, the one on the right mentions as Main category “Difficulties carrying more than 30kg of weight”, from there 7 subcategories are displayed in the left column.
Figure 8.
Problems reported by transtibial amputees when carrying a mass above 30 kg.
Tree diagram with two levels or columns, the one on the right mentions as Main category “Problems when kneeling”, from there 7 subcategories are displayed in the left column.
Figure 9.
Problems reported by transtibial amputees while kneeling.
Tree diagram with two levels or columns, the one on the right mentions as Main category “Difficulties standing and with static posture”, from there 4 subcategories are displayed in the left column.
Figure 10.
Problems reported by transtibial amputees when standing for a long time.
Tree diagram with two levels or columns, the one on the right mentions as Main category “Problems when sitting”, from there 2 subcategories are displayed in the left column.
Figure 11.
Problems reported by transtibial amputees when sitting.
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