Current approaches to rehabilitation after limb amputations

Background. The quality of life of patients refers to important determinants in choosing an approach to disease treatment and rehabilitation strategy. However, certain clinical cases require limb amputation as the only effective method for alleviating life-threatening conditions, which necessitates medical rehabilitation for the patient.

Objactive: To summarize current approaches to rehabilitation for patients after limb amputation.

Material and methods. The search and screening were carried out in accordance with PRISMA recommendations. The study involved the following scientific databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, eLibrary, and CyberLeninka. Individual publications featured in the review were identified through search services. Among 2602 identified articles, 55 fully met the selection criteria.

Results. The studies highlight the significance of the chosen amputation technique in relation to the occurrence of complications and amount of tissue preserved. The decisions made at the stage of surgical treatment inevitably influence the selection of rehabilitation approaches and tools. Subsequently, the patient’s condition is assessed according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, identifying the key needs for nutritional support, medication management, and medical devices. A considerable focus in planning rehabilitation after limb amputation is placed on interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of complications and enabling full restoration of mobility, independence and social activity despite the defect. Rehabilitation of patients of this profile obtains a number of peculiarities depending on the amputated limb; however, multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams (MDRT) generally emphasize physical therapy, massage, prosthetics, physio therapy, medication and psychological support.

Conclusion. The analysis of current approaches to rehabilitation in patients who had undergone limb amputation demonstrated the importance of the rehabilitation and the necessity for a MDRT to determine the optimal strategy. Modern bionic prostheses are capable of nearly fully compensating for the loss of mobility and independence, regardless of the place of limb amputation, thereby achieving the stated objectives of medical rehabilitation. However, this efficiency is achieved after training in specialized prosthetic and orthopedic enterprises or medical institutions collaborating with these organizations.

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