Dysvascularity is the major cause of lower limb amputations in western countries of which around 37% are done at the transfemoral level in patients over 60 years old and with comorbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular or heart disease. A significant number of these amputees receives a lower limb prosthesis for walking. However, many of them do not achieve a high level of functioning following prosthetic rehabilitation.
The aims of this review were to evaluate the success rate and adverse events of prosthetic rehabilitation following a unilateral transfermoral or transgenicular amputation in older dysvascular people.
Despite the importance of the topic there is a scarcity of literature as only one cross-over randomised trial on 10 amputees met the inclusion criteria. The included study tested the effects of adding three seemingly identical prosthetic weights (150 g vs 770 g vs 1625 g) in a randomised order to the prostheses of the patients.
The limited number of patients involved and the very low quality of the evidence presented is insufficient to answer the question of the reviewers. Randomised controlled trials examining rehabilitation interventions aimed to improve functioning in lower limb amputees are urgently required.
Despite the importance of the topic there is a scarcity of literature as only one cross-over randomised trial on 10 amputees met the inclusion criteria. The included study tested the effects of adding three seemingly identical prosthetic weights (150 g vs 770 g vs 1625 g) in a randomised order to the prostheses of the patients.
The limited number of patients involved and the very low quality of the evidence presented is insufficient to answer the question of the reviewers. Randomised controlled trials examining rehabilitation interventions aimed to improve functioning in lower limb amputees are urgently required.
Comment by María Soriano Micò