Article

Effects presented on the use of assistive devices such as prosthesis
are often based on laboratory findings (i.e. efficacy).
Objectives : To summarise
and evaluate findings from studies on effectiveness of lower limb prostheses for
adults in real life contexts, primarily in terms of activity, participation, and
quality of life (QoL) and secondarily in terms of user satisfaction, use/non-use,
and/or cost-effectiveness. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: We included
controlled studies and non-controlled follow-up studies including both baseline
and follow-up data. Using 14 different databases supplemented with manual
searches, we searched for studies published from 1998 until June 2009. Results:
Out of an initial 818 identified publications, eight met the inclusion criteria.
Four studies reported on the effectiveness of a microprocessor-controlled knee
(MP-knee) compared to a non-microprocessor-controlled knee (NMP-knee). Results
were inconsistent except for quality of life and use/non-use, where the authors
reported an improvement with the MP-knee compared to the NMP-knee. The remaining
four studies included a diversity of prosthetic intervention measures and types
of endpoints. Conclusions: Overall, there was an inconsistency in results and
study quality. This review highlights the need for high-quality research studies
that reflect the effectiveness of different prosthesis interventions in terms of
users' daily living and QoL. Clinical relevance Clinical guidelines are important
to every practitioner. Information on expected effectiveness from assistive
devices should be well founded and contain both facts about the device quality
and its contribution to users' daily lives. Thus, studies based on users'
experiences from prosthetic use in everyday life activities are of great importance.

Langue : ANGLAIS