Isometric hip muscle strength in posttraumatic below-knee amputees

Abstract

Traumas and war injuries, next to chronic occlusive artery disease and diabetes mellitus-derived complications, are the most frequent cause of the lower limbs amputation. They affect mostly younger population that need a higher level of activities as compared with the elderly. Medical rehabilitation is very significant for the muscle performance improvement in this population providing their social reintegration. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of below-knee amputation on the hip isometric muscle strength and effect of rehabilitation on improvement of hip muscle strength in below-knee amputees, secondary to war wounding. Forty below-knee amputees (after war wounding), average age 35.6 +/- 10.6 years, that were included in primary rehabilitation program with prosthetics, were examined. Objective parameters were used to evaluate therapeutical effects. Isometric muscle strength of hip flexors, extensors, abductors and adductors was measured by dynamometer and expressed in Newton (N) at admission, control and discharge for each patient. Average length of the treatment was 51 +/- 34.1 days. For isometric hip flexors (t = -1.99346, p < 0.05), extensors (t = -4.629073, p < 0.001), abductors (t = -4.9408, p < 0.001) and adductors (t = -2.00228, p < 0.05), muscle strength was significantly less on the amputated than on nonamputated side. The highest differences in muscle strength between amputated and nonamputated limbs were noted for hip abductors (26.6%) and extensors (23.3%). There was significant improvement of mean values of strength for all examined hip muscles after rehabilitation and prosthetics for both legs in comparison to beginning of the therapy. The hip abductor on the amputated side was for 19.4% weaker after rehabilitation in comparison to the non-amputated limb. Decreases of isometric muscle strength in all examined hip muscles were observed, more in the amputated limb. Rehabilitation with prosthetics is a successful method for improving isometric hip muscle strength on the both, amputated and non-amputated limbs in war wounded below-knee amputees.