Prosthetic rehabilitation of persons with lower limb amputations due to tumour.

The retrospective study was to analyse some characteristics of patients with lower limb amputations due to tumour, as well as the prosthetic rehabilitation. From 2000 to 2004, we observed 46 patients (25 men and 21 women) who were admitted prosthetic rehabilitation after a lower limb amputation due to tumours. We examined their medical documentation and recorded their general clinical status paying a special attention to the local status of the stump. The average age of patients was 51 +/- 17.11 years. Osteosarcoma was the most frequent cause in 26%. The trans-femoral amputation was in 50% and the knee disarticulation was in 8.7%. The average duration of prosthetic rehabilitation was 35 +/- 7.94 days. The average daily use of the prosthesis was 5.5 h. At the time of admission for rehabilitation, 10.9% of patients were using wheelchairs, 8.7% were using walkers and 80.4% were using two crutches to assist their walking abilities, whereas at the time of discharge 89.1% of patients used two crutches and 4.4% used one crutch for assistance, while 6.5% were able to walk unassisted. The adequate prosthetic rehabilitation in patients with lower limb amputations due to tumour is important preconditions for reintegration into the family and community.