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To assess prosthetic use by upper extremity amputees, and their difficulties with prostheses in activities of daily living and occupations.
This study is based on a survey of 307 subjects, who were using prostheses manufactured in the Center of Prosthetics and Orthotics. The survey questionnaire included items about general demographic characteristics, side and level of amputation, type of prosthesis and its use, and difficulties in the activities of daily living, employment and driving.
The most common type of prosthesis was the cosmetic hand type (80.2%). There were no statistically significant correlations between satisfaction with prosthesis and the amputation level or type of prosthesis. The most common difficulties in daily living activities experienced by amputees were lacing shoes, removing bottle-tops with a bottle opener, and using scissors. Only 7.3% of amputees received rehabilitation services. Less than half of the amputees (44.7%) used their prostheses for eight or more hours a day, and 76.9% used their prostheses for regular or irregular cosmetic purposes. After amputation, most of the respondents (69.0%) became unemployed or changed workplaces.
In our study, respondents preferred cosmetic usage to functional usage. Only 30.0% of respondents reported satisfaction with their prostheses. Many of the amputees had difficulties in complex tasks and either changed jobs or became unemployed. Clerical workers were the occupation group, which was most likely to return to work. The development of a more functional prosthetic hand and additional rehabilitation services are required.
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Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and prosthetic uses of lower extremity amputee in one Korean county.
Method: We asked community health worker in Hwa Sung Goon to recruit lower extremity amputees. We contacted them by telephone and tried to know their prosthetic uses, adaptations and their behavior about prosthetic usage. Also, we recruited all lower extremity amputees in Hwa Sung Goon.
Results: In Hwa Sung Goon, the prevalence of lower extremity amputees was 35 persons per 100,000. 93.8% of them had prostheses, more than half of them were not satisfied with their prosthetic use. For last 10 years, they changed into new prosthesis per 2.3 years.
Conclusion: In one Korean county, the prevalence of lower extremity amputees was 0.03%. Most of them used their prosthesis, and walked independently. Their compliances with rehabilitative intervention were very low.
Objective: To evaluate the clinical features of lower extremity amputees and the process of prosthetic fitting and its use at follow up and to know the effects of prosthetic rehabilitation on adaptation to prosthesis and its long-term use.
Method: One hundred and twenty four patients who underwent amputation surgery in 3 major hospitals in Korea from 1990 to 1997 were enrolled.
They were evaluated by reviewing of medical records for anthropometry, level of amputation, causes of amputation, other coincidental medical problems, general physical states and followed up by telephone and mail questionnaire with respect to general outcome, prosthetic fitting, satisfaction of prosthesis, state of prosthetic use, functional state of prosthetic ambulation.
Results: The most common cause of amputation was trauma. The mean time to fit the prosthesis was 4.1 months and only 38 patients was supervised by rehabilitation programs. The patients who were supervised by rehabilitation program were fitted and able to ambulate significantly earlier than those who were not. They wore and used prosthesis significantly more often than those who were not supervised. The patients with above knee amputation who were supervised were significantly independent with walking aids.
Conclusion: Rehabilitation training program enables amtupees to be fitted and walk earlier with prosthesis. Also, this program lowered the dependency on walking aids in above knee amputees.