Exploring the Impact of Microprocessor-Controlled Knees on Prosthesis Awareness and Overall Health
Abstract
Objectives and Rationale: Prosthesis awareness represents the degree to which a person thinks about or pays attention to their prosthesis during activity. As no measure currently assesses this functional ability, our goal is to develop a measure of prosthesis awareness so clinicians can understand the walking ability of Service Members and Veterans with limb loss more completely. This measure of prosthesis awareness will consist of a brief set of questions appropriate for use as a survey in clinical care or in research studies. Applicability and Potential Impact: The proposed research is highly relevant to the care of Service Members and Veterans with lower limb loss. The proposed awareness measure would assess an aspect of mobility other measures do not. As a companion to the widely used Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M), the new Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Awareness (PLUS-A) could be easily adopted for use by the many clinics within the Amputee System of Care (ASoC), military treatment facilities, and in the general public to help in providing a more comprehensive assessment of users’ functional capabilities than the PLUS-M alone. Types of Patients Helped by the Research: Nearly two million people, including over 80,000 Service Members and Veterans, live with the loss of one or more limbs in the United States. Patient report outcome measures like the proposed measure are essential to fully understanding the abilities and needs of Service Members, and Veterans with limb loss. Clinical Applications, Benefits, and Risks: New knowledge about prosthesis awareness provided by the PLUS-A measure will help inform clinical decisions, improve clinical documentation, and facilitate assessment of interventions intended to improve functional mobility in Service Members and Veterans with limb loss. The risks to the study participants are minimal as the study will only involve responding to survey questions, and completion of established clinical tests routinely used in assessing physical performance. Projected Timeline: The full scope of the study will require 4 years to complete. However, we anticipate that by year 3 a version of the PLUS-A will be available for use. Benefit to Service Members and Veterans: We are committed to improving Service Members and Veterans’ rehabilitation and healthcare through ongoing research focusing on individuals with limb loss. The measure we propose to develop is consistent with the Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Research Program Prosthesis Function focus area, and is intended to optimize patient outcomes through the analysis of variables related to currently available devices, including state-of-the-art lower limb prosthetics. An assessment of prosthesis awareness has specific relevance to service members and Veterans with limb loss because gaining a more complete understanding of prosthesis users’ function will help inform the rehabilitation services working to maximize activity level, an ability to return to duty/work, and an ability to maintain a high quality of life.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110169
Entities
People
- Benjamin J Darter
Organizations
- United States Army
- Virginia Commonwealth University