Article

Most veterans live for many years after their war-related traumatic
lower-limb amputation, which is why understanding which factors influence
health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains important to their long-term
management. The objective of this study was to perform a review of the literature
to summarize any evidence on the physical and social determinants for HRQoL in
veterans with uni- or bilateral lower-limb amputation(s). METHOD: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, CINAHL, Scopus and Cochrane databases were searched systematically
for eligible studies. Inclusion criteria were: traumatic lower-limb
amputation(s), HRQoL outcome and veterans. Physical and social factors that
influence HRQoL were extracted. RESULTS: The literature search identified 2073
citations, leading to the inclusion of 10 studies in the systematic review.
Physical activity level, sport participation, level of amputation, back pain,
years of education, as well as duration and severity of phantom pain were found
to be determining factors for HRQoL among veterans with lower-limb amputation.
CONCLUSIONS: The identified physical and social determinants were similar to
those found in civilian traumatic amputees. More high quality research designs,
interventions and complex statistical analyses are warranted to identify the
physical and social factors that influence the HRQoL of veteran amputees.
Implications for Rehabilitation Rehabilitation staff should promote physical
activity and participation in sport among veterans with lower-limb amputation(s).
Level of amputation, back pain severity, years of education, duration of phantom
pain and severity of phantom pain have been found to be determining factors for
HRQoL and should be taken into consideration when planning rehabilitation
programs for veterans with lower-limb amputations.

Langue : ANGLAIS