Journal of the American Medical Association · 1958 · 11 citations · 0 references
MedicineOrthopedic SurgeryRehabilitation MedicineAmputation RehabilitationGeriatric RehabilitationRehabilitationAmputationLower Extremity RehabilitationLower Limb RehabilitationPhysical RehabilitationAssessment Of Medical ComplicationsBilateral Amputation RehabilitationEvaluationLower-limb AmputationPeripheral Vascular InjuryPost-amputation RehabilitationPostoperative Medical ComplicationsPreprosthetic Exercise
The effectiveness of a program of rehabilitation was studied in 50 patients with bilateral amputation of lower extremities. The average age was 55 years, and the reason for amputation was peripheral vascular disease in 34 cases. The rehabilitation program included preprosthetic training, instructions in activities of daily living, prevocational evaluation and guidance, and job placement when indicated. Failures were explained only in part by the presence of severe medical complications. Age, primary etiology, and site of amputation were found, by systematic analysis, to have no direct bearing on the likelihood that a given patient would become self-sufficient. Motivation appeared to be a contributing factor. Thirty-five patients were considered rehabilitated, and 16 of these became economically independent.