Because of the challenge of prosthetic rehabilitation among people with a hemipelvectomy or hip disarticulation, many in that population are never fit with a prosthetic limb. In a study published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, researchers evaluated the characteristics of successful prosthetic use by those with such amputations to determine what factors are associated with successful prosthetic fitting and use. The authors conclude that increased body mass index, advanced age, depression, or other comorbidities need not discourage prosthetic rehabilitation.
The researchers, physicians at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, identified 43 patients who underwent hip disarticulation or hemipelvectomy between 2000 and 2010 and were candidates for prosthetic fitting at the Mayo Clinic. The medical records of these patients were then reviewed for pertinent demographic and medical characteristics to identify a profile of successful prosthetic users.
Of 43 patients, 43 percent successfully used a prosthetic limb. The only preoperative factor associated with unsuccessful prosthetic fitting was coronary artery disease, according to the study. Age, body mass index, other medical comorbidities, and demographic characteristics were not associated with successful or unsuccessful prosthetic fitting. Successful users wore their prosthesis an average of 5.8 hours per day, and most ambulated with one or both hands free.
