Skin Problems of the Stump in Lower Limb Amputees:2. Influence on Functioning in Daily Life

The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of stump skin problems on functioning in daily life in lower limb amputees. A cross-sectional study was performed by means of a questionnaire containing 9 questions assessing functioning in daily life. Question scores were added to give a total score (range 0 (no influence) to 27 (maximum negative influence)). Two thousand and thirty-nine people were invited to participate, with 805 participants completing a questionnaire. Of these, 507 reported one or more skin problems. Skin problems had a negative influence on ability to perform household tasks, prosthesis use, social functioning, and participation in sports. The mean total score was 5.5 +/- 4.1. This correlated significantly with the number of skin complaints (r=0.483; p=0.01). In linear regression analyses, gender (beta=-0.15) and number of skin problems (beta=0.25) accounted for 23% of the total score. This study confirms the influence of skin problems on functioning in daily life.