Article

Farmers and ranchers experience disabling injuries each year of which
amputations account for 11%. Anecdotal evidence suggests that current prostheses
may not be meeting the needs of farmers and ranchers with amputations. To better
understand those prosthetic needs, a descriptive qualitative study was used to
gather data with an engineering perspective. METHOD: Farmers with an upper- or
lower-limb amputation were interviewed. Issues explored included current and past
prostheses used, prosthetic failures, and ability to complete farm tasks using a
prosthesis. Prosthetists providing services to this population were also
interviewed to gain knowledge of specific devices and practises used in their
geographic region. RESULTS: Interviews with 40 farmers and 26 prosthetists
revealed several common themes related to prostheses including
durability/utility, environment, adaptation, cost, and education. Farmers and
ranchers with amputations often made modifications to their prostheses, farm
equipment, and daily routines in order to return to their vocation. CONCLUSIONS: Farmers and ranchers with amputations have distinct prosthetic needs. Their
return to farming can be facilitated by creating more durable, affordable, and
adaptable prosthetic components. Our results can help guide design of more
comprehensive surveys for further information gathering and new devices and
establish best prosthetic practises for farmers and those in other physically demanding professions.

Langue : ANGLAIS