Original scientific paper
Functional Outcome Assessment of Lower Limb Amputees and Prosthetic Users with a 2-Minute Walk Test
Ljubinka Frlan-Vrgoč
Tea Schnurrer-Luke Vrbanić
Darko Kraguljac
Miljenko Kovačević
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the functional outcome of a population of lower limb amputees supplied with prosthesis.
The research was conducted from June to September of 2010 at the Center for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine,
of the Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Croatia. The study included 50 adult subjects of both genders with a unilateral
transtibial or transfemoral lower limb amputations. The 2-minute walk test (2MWT) was used to assess the functional
outcome of these individuals. Data were statistically analyzed. Subjects were divided into groups according to age. The
best results were obtained by subjects between the age of 45 and 59 years. The difference between groups was statistically
significant (p<0.001). Taking into account the cause of amputation, there was a statistically significant difference in the
results of the 2 MWT between subjects in whom the cause of amputation was circulatory and those where the cause of the
amputation was not due to circulatory problems. The best results were obtained in subjects in whom the cause of amputation
was not circulatory (p=0.009). Considering the level of amputation there was a statistically significant difference in
the results of the 2MWT between subjects with transtibial and those with transfemoral amputations. Better results were
obtained in transtibial amputees (p=0.039). Considering the first prosthetic supply, better results were obtained in subjects
using prosthetic devices over 9 years (p=0.031). Our research confirmed that age, gender, level and cause of amputation,
including the time from the first prosthetic supply have an effect on the 2MWT results.
Keywords
amputation; prosthesis; assessment; walk
Hrčak ID:
75641
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2011.
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