A Prospective Research Study on the Appraisal of Lower Limb Amputee Experiences with Prostheses in Southeast Nigeria

The objective of this research was to explore the experiences of lower limb prosthetic users with a view to understanding the importance of lower limb prostheses, identifying factors that lead to the abandoning of Prostheses in the course of use, highlighting use issues that affect their daily living, and evaluating the effectiveness of Prostheses in the rehabilitation of lower limb amputees. The methodology employed in this research study and data collected from the respondents were edited and coded. It was thereafter entered into the computer for analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Vs. 17.0. Descriptive Statistics such as pie chart and percentages were used to summarize the data collected. Frequency distribution tables were constructed for all variables and were expressed as the percentage of the distribution. Statistical test was conducted using Chi-square test. The level of significance that was used for the test is 5% level. The significance was interpreted using p-value < 0.05. Hip Disarticulation and Knee Disarticulation was reported by one respondent each, 33.3% had toe amputations, while Transfemoral TF and Transtibial TT was reported by 26.32% and 28.07%. Also, 17% of the respondents had used their prosthesis for less than 2 years; 37% have used their prostheses for about 2 to 5 years while 19% and 27% reported having used their fitting for 6 to 10 years and above 10 years respectively. 46% of the amputations were caused by diabetes, while trauma and infections accounted for 11% and 18% respectively. Conclusively, support and finance were observed to be critical for enhanced user experience. It is of the essence that government should provide financial assistance to amputees being rehabilitated as this is one major reason they skip therapy. Family members are advised to always stay close to these lower limb prostheses users especially in their initial usage to help them with adoption and adaptation. Health education for lower limb amputee using a prosthetic device by the health workers on usage, care and maintenance will also help their continued usage and avoid their future disuse.