title: Servicemembers and veterans with major traumatic limb loss from Vietnam war and OIF/OEF conflicts: survey methods, participants, and summary findings.
abstract: Care of veterans and servicemembers with major traumatic limb loss from combat theaters is one of the highest priorities of the Department of Veteran Affairs. We achieved a 62% response rate in our Survey for Prosthetic Use from 298 Vietnam war veterans and 283 servicemembers/veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) who sustained major traumatic limb loss. Participants reported their combat injuries; health status; quality of life; and prosthetic device use, function, rejection, and satisfaction. Despite the serious injuries experienced, health status was rated excellent, very good, or good by 70.7% of Vietnam war and 85.5% of OIF/OEF survey participants. However, many health issues persist for Vietnam war and OIF/OEF survey participants (respectively): phantom limb pain (72.2%/76.0%), chronic back pain (36.2%/42.1%), residual-limb pain (48.3%/62.9%), prosthesis-related skin problems (51.0%/58.0%), hearing loss (47.0%/47.0%), traumatic brain injury (3.4%/33.9%), depression (24.5%/24.0%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (37.6%/58.7%). Prosthetic devices are currently used by 78.2% of Vietnam war and 90.5% of OIF/OEF survey participants to improve function and mobility. On average, the annual rate for prosthetic device receipt is 10.7-fold higher for OIF/OEF than for Vietnam war survey participants. Findings from this cross-conflict survey identify many strengths in prosthetic rehabilitation for those with limb loss and several areas for future attention.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research and Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98101, USA. Gayle.Reiber@va.gov
authors.forename: Gayle E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Reiber
authors.forename: Lynne V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maynard
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Blough
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gambel
authors.forename: Douglas G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans; D047829:Vietnam Conflict; D055815:Young Adult