A research team conducted a study to understand mobility in highly active lower-limb prosthesis users to inform the development of new items for the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M) item bank. They identified mobility characteristics that can be integrated into a revised version of the PLUS-M to assess mobility in active adults and athletes. Three themes were identified: mobility after amputation, mobility characteristics, and healthcare providers and systems.
Four focus groups, in person and online, were conducted by a trained facilitator using a semi-structured guide with 29 active lower-limb prosthesis users. Focus group transcripts were reviewed and coded by two researchers, and thematic analysis was used to identify important experiences across participants.
The participants described engagement in high-level activities as a learning process that included elements such as equipment challenges and modifications, pain and injury, and the need to trust the prosthetic limb. Participants identified mobility characteristics, such as postural changes, terrain, and obstacles, that influenced their ability to perform high-level activities.
The study, “Mobility with a lower limb prosthesis: experiences of users with high levels of functional ability,” was published in Disability and Rehabilitation.
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