FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC UPPER-LIMB AMPUTATION AND PROSTHETIC LIMB FITTING

Nineteen consecutive patients underwent traumatic upper limb amputatio n for nonreconstructible or replantible upper limb injury at a Level I trauma center over a 9-year-period. Eleven amputations were at the tr ansradial level, five were transhumeral, and three were shoulder disar ticulation. Eighteen patients underwent prosthetic limb fitting. Fifte en of the 18 initially underwent preparatory prosthetic limb fitting w ithin 30 days following amputation with a body-powered, cable-driven p rosthesis. Seventeen of the 18 achieved sufficient proficiency with th eir prostheses to allow them to return to work. Of these, 15 maintaine d daily functional prosthetic use of at least 8 hours daily at a follo wup examination of 12 to 110 months. Use of prosthetic limb following traumatic upper limb amputation carries a high probability for functio nal rehabilitation if limb fitting and prosthetic training are institu ted as soon as the residual limb can tolerate the prosthetic socket as opposed to waiting for the residual limb to ''mature''.