My prosthesis as a part of me: a qualitative analysis of living with an osseointegrated prosthetic limb

BACKGROUND: Bone-anchored prosthesis is still a rather unusual treatment for patients with limb loss.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to improve our understanding about the experience of living with an osseointegrated prosthesis (OI-prosthesis) compared to one suspended with a socket, through the use of qualitative research methodology.

STUDY DESIGN: A qualitative phenomenological research method.

METHODS: Thirteen Swedish patients (37-67 years) with unilateral upper or lower limb amputation (10 transfemoral, 2 transhumeral, 1 transradial), who had been using OI-prostheses for 3 to 15 years, were recruited by means of purposive sampling. An audio-taped in-depth interview was performed. The guiding question was 'How do you experience living with your osseointegrated prosthesis compared to your earlier prostheses suspended with sockets?'. The empirical phenomenological psychological method was used for data analysis.

RESULTS: The results showed that all participants described living with an OI-prosthesis as a revolutionary change. These experiences were described in terms of three typologies, called 'Practical prosthesis', 'Pretend limb' and 'A part of me'.

CONCLUSIONS: The most important finding was that the change went beyond the functional improvements, integrating the existential implications in the concept of quality of life.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This qualitative in-depth interview study on patients using bone-anchored prosthetic limbs showed that all described a revolutionary change in their lives as amputees and the meaning of that change went beyond the functional improvements, integrating existential implications in the concept of quality of life.