Prosthetic Experience of Persons with Lower Limb Amputation in a Nigerian City

ABSTRACT
Background:   Background: Despite literary works on prosthetic use and experiences following lower limb amputation, it appears that there is little or no data available in Nigeria. Objectives: To explore and correlate the levels of prosthetic experience, satisfaction, and adjustment to prosthetic use and physical activity among persons with lower limb amputation. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 60 individuals living with lower limb amputation recruited through the snowball sampling technique in Awka, Nigeria. Trinity amputation and prosthesis experience scale was used to assess for prosthetic experience, physical activity, satisfaction, and adjustment to prosthetic use. Inferential statistics of Spearman correlation and Mann-Whitney U were used to establish the relationship and comparisons respectively. The level of significance was set at <0.05. Results: A significant correlation exists between prosthetic experience and physical activity (p=0.0001), and adjustment to prosthetic use (p=0.01) but none with satisfaction with prosthetic use (p=0.90).There was no influence of age on prosthetic experience (p=0.271) and physical activity (p=0.074), gender has a significant influence on prosthetic experience (p=0.014) but not on physical activity (0.941). Amputation level has no significant influence on prosthetic experience (p=0.577) and physical activity (p=0.179). Duration of prosthetic use has no significant influence on prosthetic experience (p=0.144) and physical activity (p=0.220). Conclusion: High levels of prosthetic experience, satisfaction, adjustment to prosthetic use, and low levels of physical activity were prevalent among the studied participants.