Low Back Pain in Adults With Transfemoral Amputation: A Retrospective Population-Based Study.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is common among individuals with transfemoral amputation (TFA) and has a negative impact on quality of life. Little is known about health care utilization for LBP in this population and whether utilization varies by amputation etiology.

Objective: To determine if individuals with TFA have an increased likelihood of seeking care or reporting symptoms of acute or chronic LBP during physician visits after amputation compared with matched individuals without amputation.

The risk of major cardiovascular events for adults with transfemoral amputation.

Background: It is well-known that the risk of cardiac disease is increased for those with lower-limb amputations, likely as a result of the etiology of the amputation. Using a longitudinal population-based dataset, we examined the association between transfemoral amputation (TFA) status and the risk of experiencing a major cardiac event for those undergoing either dysvascular or traumatic amputations. The association of receiving a prosthesis with the risk of experiencing a major cardiac event was also examined.

Direct medical costs of accidental falls for adults with transfemoral amputations.

Background: Active individuals with transfemoral amputations are provided a microprocessor-controlled knee with the belief that the prosthesis reduces their risk of falling. However, these prostheses are expensive and the cost-effectiveness is unknown with regard to falls in the transfemoral amputation population. The direct medical costs of falls in adults with transfemoral amputations need to be determined in order to assess the incremental costs and benefits of microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees.

Predictors of Receiving a Prosthesis for Adults With Above-Knee Amputations in a Well-Defined Population.

Background: Prior studies have identified age as a factor in determining an individual's likelihood of receiving a prosthesis following a lower limb amputation. These studies are limited to specific subsets of the general population and are unable to account for preamputation characteristics within their study populations. Our study seeks to determine the effect of preamputation characteristics on the probability of receiving a prosthesis for the general population in the United States.

Functional outcomes and quality of life after tumor-related hemipelvectomy.

Background And Purpose: Hemipelvectomy is a life-changing treatment for pelvic malignancies. This study compared functional outcomes and quality of life of patients following internal or external hemipelvectomies.

Subjects: Ninety-seven patients who underwent tumor-related internal (n=39) or external (n=58) hemipelvectomy surgery between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 2004, participated in the study.