Article

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of a noninvasive limb cover for treating
chronic phantom limb pain (PLP). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. PARTICIPANTS: We randomly
assigned 57 subjects to 2 groups: true noninvasive limb cover (n=30) and sham
noninvasive limb cover (n=27). Inclusion criteria included age of 18 years or
greater, upper or lower extremity amputation with healed residual limb, and 3 or
more episodes of PLP during the previous 6 weeks. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects
received 2 true or sham noninvasive limb covers to be worn over the prosthesis
and residual limbs 24 hours a day for 12 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary
outcome measure was the numerical pain rating scale of PLP level (0-10).
Secondary outcomes included overall pain level (0-10), PLP frequency per week,
and the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12). We collected data at
baseline and at 6- and 12-week follow-up visits. RESULTS: Demographic and
clinical characteristics were not significantly different between groups. The
true noninvasive limb cover group reported nonsignificant reductions in PLP from
5.9+/-1.9 at baseline to 3.9+/-1.7 at the 12-week follow-up. The sham noninvasive
limb cover group also had nonsignificant reducations in PLP from 6.5+/-1.8 to
4.2+/-2.3. PLP did not differ significantly between the 2 groups at 6 weeks (mean
difference, 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.4 to 3) or at 12 weeks (mean
difference, 0.2; 95% CI, -1.9 to 2.3). Similarly, overall pain level, PLP
episodes per week, and VR-12 physical and mental health component scores did not
differ between the 2 groups at 6 and 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS:
A true noninvasive
limb cover did not significantly decrease PLP levels or the frequency of PLP
episodes per week, overall bodily pain levels, or VR-12 physical and mental
health component scores compared with a sham noninvasive limb cover in our
veteran amputee sample.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS