title: Ambulation levels of bilateral lower-extremity amputees. Analysis of one hundred and three cases.
abstract: One hundred and three bilateral lower-extremity amputees were evaluated to determine their eventual ambulation level. Of thirty-eight bilateral above-the-knee amputees, two with traumatic amputation were prosthetically rehabilitated, while none of the thirty-five with dysvascular amputation were so rehabilitated. Twenty-two of the dysvascular above-the-knee amputees were wheelchair ambulators and thirteen were bedridden. Prosthetic rehabilitation has been successful for traumatic bilateral above-the-knee amputees but has never been successful for our dysvascular bilateral above-the-knee amputees. The goal for dysvascular bilateral above-the-knee amputees is wheelchair ambulation. Of twenty-one patients with combinations of above-the-knee and below-the-knee amputations, five were prosthetically rehabilitated, including four dysvascular amputees; ten were wheelchair ambulators; and six were bedridden. Of forty-four patients with bilateral below-the-knee amputation, thirty-five were prosthetically rehabilitated and the remaining nine were wheelchair ambulators. Since the success rate for prosthetic rehabilitation is higher for amputees with combination above-the-knee and below-the-knee amputation than for those with bilateral above-the-knee amputation, and again increases for those with bilateral below-the-knee amputation, the significance of preserving the knee joint, even a single knee, cannot be overemphasized.
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000379:methods / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001186:Artificial Limbs / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D014910:Wheelchairs