As athletes gather in France for the Paralympics, an academic at the University of Salford is calling for more research into the challenges prosthesis users face when traveling.
Vikranth Harthikote Nagaraja, PhD, conducted research highlighting the urgent need for a global and inclusive approach for people who use prosthetic devices and who often face discrimination and difficulties when trying to travel.
“Unfortunately, our research has found people with prostheses—including the general public and para athletes—have faced humiliating experiences while travelling. It would be fantastic if we could make the legacy of Paris 2024 a commitment to improving research, clinical practice, and education in this area,” said Nagaraja .
The study team searched all major databases for peer-reviewed literature, and studied documents from professional bodies, government websites, and airlines. They also directly approached amputees, including veterans and athletes, and found that until now, there appeared to be no academic literature published on travelling with a prosthetic limb, meaning guidance and health advice is scarce.
Editor’s note: This story was adapted from materials provided by the University of Salford.
The open-access study, “Travellers with prosthetic limbs, a neglected population. A perspective on what travel health practitioners need to know,” was published in Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines.
