The effects of exercise program on satisfaction level in unilateral above knee amputees

Purpose: To investigate the effects of exercise program performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist, on prosthetic satisfaction level in unilateral above knee amputees. Methods: 19 unilateral above knee amputees, with the mean age of 39.3±12.8 years were enrolled in this study. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and properties of the prostheses of the participants were recorded. All cases attended to a 10 session exercise program. They continued the exercises after the program finished. The satisfaction level of the patients concerning comfort, appearance weight of the prosthesis and walking with prosthesis were assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and 2 months after the treatment. Results: When compared pre and post-treatment results, comfort of the prosthesis (p=0.048), satisfaction with the appearence of prosthesis (p=0.01), and walking ability (p=0.033) were statistically different. Discussion: In the present study, it is demonstrated that the exercise program affected prosthetic satisfaction levels positively in unilateral above knee amputees.