Rehabilitation of the patient with a lower extremity amputation.

Preservation of life is an incomplete and inadequate objective for the lower extremity amputee. A comprehensive rehabilitation program must be designed to meet his individual needs. This is the responsibility of the professional community that purports to treat disease and maintain the health of the population. The multidisciplinary team functions in a coordinated effort to identify and resolve the amputee's problems, and to establish realistic goals during each phase of his rehabilitation program. The rehabilitation process begins when the prospective LE amputee is identified and continues until he has achieved optimal independence; that is, he has learned to cope with his disability within the boundaries of his normal environment.