Article

The experience of phantom limb pain, non-painful phantom limb sensation and
telescoping was ascertained by questionnaire in a group of upper extremity
amputees wearing a functionally effective Sauerbruch prosthesis which permits
extensive use of the affected limb and in a group of patients wearing a cosmetic
prosthesis that did little to increase the utilization of the amputation stump.
The Sauerbruch prosthesis group exhibited a significant and large decrease in
amount of phantom limb pain while the cosmetic prosthesis group showed no change.
Neither group experienced a decrease in non-painful phantom limb sensation or
telescoping. The amount of phantom limb pain has been found to be highly
correlated with the amount of injury-related, afferent-decrease cortical
reorganization. It is possible that the increased use of the amputation stump
induced by wearing a Sauerbruch prosthesis produced a countervailing
use-dependent, afferent-increase type of cortical reorganization that reversed
the phantom limb pain. These preliminary results require replication. Their therapeutic implications are discussed.

Langue : ANGLAIS