Physical Therapy Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-9-2020
Journal
American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Volume
99
Issue
11
First Page
1067
Last Page
1071
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org./10.1097/phm.0000000000001490
Abstract
Functional recovery for people with lower limb amputations is quantified using objective or subjective measures of performance. In this brief report, the prospective relationship between objective and subjective mobility after rehabilitation was evaluated in people with lower limb amputations. Adults undergoing inpatient prosthetic rehabilitation for a first unilateral transtibial or transfemoral level lower limb amputation were recruited. Assessment times: discharge and 4-mo follow-up. Gait velocity and the L Test under single- and dual-task conditions measured objective mobility. The Prosthetic Evaluation Questionnaire (section 4 and question 5b) measured subjective mobility. Paired t tests and Pearson correlation analysis evaluated change over time and the association between mobility types, respectively. Twenty-one people with lower limb amputations (61.6 ± 8.2 yrs) participated. Gait velocity significantly improved (single- and dual-task: P < 0.001). L Test significantly improved for single-task (P = 0.002) but not dual-task conditions. No statistically significant Prosthetic Evaluation Questionnaire changes were observed. One subjective mobility question (sidewalk walking) correlated with objective mobility at follow-up (L Test single- and dual-task: r = -0.77; P < 0.001). Objective mobility improved after discharge; however, subjective reporting had no change. Lack of association may represent a mismatch between quantitative outcomes and subjective self-assessment. Both subjective and objective measures of mobility should be collected to provide a holistic picture of clinical and patient-relevant outcomes in people with lower limb amputations.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Notes
This is the Accepted Version; the final published version is available at:
Cieslak G, Omana H, Madou E, Frengopoulos C, Viana R, Payne MW, Hunter SW. Association between changes in subjective and objective measure of mobility in lower-limb amputees after inpatient rehabilitation. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 2020;99(11):1067-1071. Epub on June 9, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0000000000001490