Dermatologic conditions associated with use of a lower-extremity prosthesis

Objectives: To document the frequency of skin problems among lower-limb prosthesis users and to assess for factors associated with skin problems among patients using a prosthesis. Design: Six-year retrospective chart review. Setting: An Outpatient amputee clinic at a regional, referral rehabilitation hospital in Canada. Participants: Seven hundred forty-five subjects with a total of 828 lower-extremity amputations participated. Subjects were included if they had a lower-extremity amputation and used a prosthesis for ambulation or transfers. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: The presence or absence of a skin problem. Descriptive and nonparametric statistics were used to analyze data. Results: Three hundred thirty-seven residual limbs (40.7%) had at least 1 skin problem. Adjusted odds ratios showed that amputation level, being employed, type of walking aid, and absence of peripheral vascular disease (as a comorbidity) were independently associated with the presence of at least 1 skin problem (P < .05). Conclusions: Dermatologic conditions are a frequent complication for the lower-extremity amputee who uses a prosthesis. The results suggest that more active amputees have an increased risk for developing skin problems. Further study in this area is warranted.