Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2025 Feb 4;17(2):e78527.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.78527. eCollection 2025 Feb.

Rehabilitation Following Multiple Limb Amputation: A Case Report

Sandip Dhole  1 , Prafull K  2 , Vandana S Daulatabad  2 , Rohit R Gaikar  3 , Sumedh More  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Rehabilitation Following Multiple Limb Amputation: A Case Report

Sandip Dhole et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Multiple limb amputations are uncommon and may result from various causes, including trauma, metabolic disorders, severe burns, purpura fulminans, and drug use. Such amputations pose substantial physical, emotional, and social challenges, necessitating a comprehensive and multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach. This report discusses the rehabilitation of a 30-year-old male patient with multiple limb amputations, including a right transradial amputation, a left transhumeral amputation, and a left transfemoral amputation, following a railway accident. The patient was managed with a multidisciplinary strategy, incorporating stump-strengthening exercises, scar mobilization techniques, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy for neuroma management, supplemented by the administration of 2% lignocaine. Prosthetic devices, including a right below-elbow cosmo-functional prosthesis, a left above-elbow cosmo-functional prosthesis with a hook as a terminal device, and a left above-knee prosthesis, were fitted. Gait training was provided to enhance mobility, independence, and reintegration into daily and occupational activities. A tailored rehabilitation program, combined with psychological counseling, addressed both physical recovery and emotional well-being. Functional progress was assessed using the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Index, which showed a significant improvement from a score of 0 to 27 after two weeks of rehabilitation. This case underscores the importance of individualized, multidisciplinary care in achieving optimal functional outcomes and quality of life for patients with multiple limb amputations.

Keywords: amputation; functional progress; multidisciplinary approach; prosthesis; rehabilitation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Prosthetic management
Figure 2
Figure 2. Transhumeral amputation
Figure 3
Figure 3. Transradial amputation
Figure 4
Figure 4. Transfemoral amputation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Attitude and perception of patients towards amputation as a form of surgical treatment in the University of Calabar teaching hospital, Nigeria. Udosen AM, Ngim N, Etokidem A, Ikpeme A, Urom S, Marwa A. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21503177/ Afr Health Sci. 2009;9:254–257. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Monoclonal cryoglobulinemia with extensive gangrene of all four extremities--a case report. Sanmugarajah J, Hussain S, Schwartz JM, Friedman S. Angiology. 2000;51:431–434. - PubMed
    1. Four limb amputations due to electrical burn caused by TV antenna contact with overhead electric cables. Celiköz B, Sengezer M, Selmanpakoğlu N. Burns. 1997;23:81–84. - PubMed
    1. Rehabilitation of a quadruple amputee subsequent to electrical burns sustained whilst hang gliding. Davidson J, Champion S, Cousins R, Jones L. Disabil Rehabil. 2001;23:90–95. - PubMed
    1. Four limb amputations: a tragic end of electrical burn. Mohammadi AA, Johari HG. J Burn Care Res. 2009;30:541. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources