Researchers conducted a study to compare aspects of body representation between individuals with upper-limb amputations and people without amputations and to examine the relationships among body image, reintegration to normal living, and prosthetic adjustment.
The study included 26 people with upper-limb amputations and 26 people without amputations, the control group. Assessments included the Amputee Body Image Scale-Revised (ABIS-R), Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, the Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNLI), and the Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis Experience Scales (TAPES). Laterality judgment and two-point discrimination thresholds were assessed in both groups.
The researchers identified significant correlations in between ABIS-R and TAPES; ABIS-R and RNLI; and RNLI and TAPES. The accuracy rates of the control group were higher than those of the group with amputations, and the reaction times of the upper-limb amputation group was higher than the control group.
Regarding two-point discrimination thresholds, the values of the participants with upper-limb amputations were higher than the control group; values on the ipsilateral side were higher than the contralateral side.
The authors concluded that the study highlighted the multidimensional aspect of body representation in people with upper-limb amputations and emphasized the importance of considering reintegration to normal living and prosthetic adjustment in daily life. They suggested that healthcare professionals consider implementing measures to facilitate a deeper relationship between those with amputations and their bodies and increasing their social participation.
The study, “Body representation and prosthetic adjustment in upper limb amputation: Implications for reintegration to normal living” was published in the journal Prosthetics and Orthotists International.
