Early Fitting of Artificial Limbs to Amputated Lower Limbs

Abstract

Specific rehabilitation of patients with amputated lower limbs is first of all rehabilitation to walk with a prosthesis (artificial limb). After 20 years of practice of prosthetic early fitting for lower limbs amputees using practice prosthesis, the authors suggest that this technique is still up-to-date. The taking charge of amputated patients by a specialised team is an important element if one wants to achieve a good functional result. A rehabilitation milieu, where the new amputee is with a large number of patients with the same pathology, also constitutes a framework that is reassuring as well as stimulating and allows the patient to imagine the situation in which he/she can find himself/herself a few weeks later.

Key words:

• Amputation
• prosthesis
• rehabilitation
• prosthetic early fitting