Back pain as a secondary disability in persons with lower limb amputations

Objective: To evaluate the frequency, duration, intensity, and interference of back pain in a sample of persons with lower limb amputations. Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional survey. Setting: Community-based survey from clinical databases. Participants: Participants who were 6 or more months post-lower limb amputa tion (n = 255). Intervention: An amputation pain survey that included several standardized pain measures. Main Outcome Measures: Frequency, duration, intensity, and interference of back pain. Results: Of the participants who completed the survey (return rate, 56%), 5 2% reported experiencing persistent, bothersome back pain. Of these, 43% re ported average back pain intensity in the mild range (1-4 on 0-10 rating sc ale) and 25% reported pain of moderate intensity (5-6 on 0-10 scale). Most respondents with back pain rated the interference of their pain on function as none to minimal. However, nearly 25% of those with back pain described it as frequent, of severe intensity (greater than or equal to7 on 0-10 scal e), and as severely interfering with daily activities including social, rec reational, family, and work activities. Conclusions: Back pain may be surprisingly common in persons with lower lim b amputations, and, for some who experience it, may greatly interfere with function. (C) 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Americ an Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.