A research team studying the delivery of cosmetic covers to people with transtibial and transfemoral amputations found that women were “significantly more likely” to receive a cover. According to the researchers, the type of insurance did not affect whether or not a cover was used, but that Medicare reimbursed more pull-up skin covers than other payers did. The study was published online January 9 in the journal Prosthetics and Orthotics International.
Using a cross-sectional study design, the researchers reviewed 294 patient records of people who received a transtibial or transfemoral prosthesis within a two-year period at an outpatient practice. The authors noted that the study was conducted in a warm, tropical region of the United States, and that results may differ in other climates, as well as in parts of the world with different views of body image and disability. They also said that cosmetic covering rates are clinically relevant because they provide insight into which gender is using more cosmetic covers, and it can be determined which type of covers are being used with greater frequency and which insurance type is providing more coverage for them.
