Study of disabled treated at artifical limb centre

Background: Artificial Limb Centre (ALC), Pune provides comprehensive rehabilitation care to disabled soldiers of Armed Forces. A retrospective study of 16308 Armed Forces personnel treated at ALC, Pune was carried out to analyse the factors resulting in disability and their distribution among the soldiers. Methods: Records of disabled soldiers treated at ALC, Pune from 14 May 1944 to 31 Dec 2003 were analysed with respect to their age, rank structure, nature of disability, causation and body part involved to find out various factors contributing to disablement and its distribution amongst the soldiers. Result: Trauma was the commonest cause of disability in Armed forces personnel and mine blast injury was the most frequent mode of trauma followed by road traffic accident. Study also revealed that lower limb amputation is the most common type of disability and below knee amputation is the most common level of amputation. Maximum disabled personnel were in the age group of 21 to 40 years and other ranks accounted for 92.58 % of the total number. Conclusion: War related injuries were the most common cause of disability in the Armed Forces personnel, which affect the young soldiers in their most productive period of life.