Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with nonuse of an AK prosthesis in a rural, Southern, geriatric population. We conducted a telephone survey of AK amputees fitted with a prosthesis in Eastern North Carolina. There was an association between nonuse of the prosthesis and the following factors: African-American race; low education; no gainful employment; copresence of diabetes mellitus and peripheral vascular disease; use of walker, but not cane; and phantom pain of short duration. Recommendations for prosthesis providers include: (a) good management of comorbidities, (b) counseling that prosthetic use minimizes phantom pain, (c) optimization of balance and coordination, and (d) consideration of alternative nonprosthetic options for ambulation.
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Dolezal, J.M., Vernick, S.H., Khan, N. et al. Factors Associated with Use and Nonuse of an AK Prosthesis in a Rural, Southern, Geriatric Population. International Journal of Rehabilitation and Health 4, 245–251 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022918913632
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022918913632