Prosthesis and health-related factors of mobility in people with nontraumatic unilateral transtibial amputation.

Background: Numerous factors can affect mobility of individuals with lower limb amputation, including prosthesis-dependent, physical and psychological determinants.Objective:This study aimed to investigate the prosthesis and health-related factors of mobility in people with nontraumatic unilateral transtibial amputation.Study Design:Cross-sectional observational study.

Methods: Individuals with nontraumatic unilateral transtibial amputation who are using a prosthetic leg were included. All participants were asked to fill out the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire, 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), Comprehensive Lower Limb Amputee Socket Survey, and 12-item Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility. The relationships between the variables of interest and mobility were investigated using correlation coefficient analyses. Multiple regression analysis was run to investigate the impact of a set of predictor variables on mobility.

Results: A total of 168 people with lower limb amputation were included. Mobility had a significant association with age, comorbidity, occupation, Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire score, physical and mental component scores of SF-12, subscales of the Comprehensive Lower Limb Amputee Socket Survey, educational status, amputation cause, time since amputation, time since using the prosthesis, and socket insert type. In the final model of multiple regression analysis, the Physical Component Summary score of SF-12 showed the strongest predictor of mobility (beta = 0.40, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Nonprosthetic factors play a significant role in mobility of people with nontraumatic unilateral transtibial amputation. Although some predictors, such as age and time since amputation, are immutable, clinicians may still enhance the mobility of this population through the utilization of health-related factors, such as improving their physical activity.