Physical and Mental Health Priorities for Improving the Lives of People with Limb Loss or Limb Difference

Research Objectives To describe the physical and mental health priorities of a nationally-representative sample of People with Limb Loss or Limb Difference (PwLL/LD). Design This cross-sectional survey-based study was developed to identify physical and mental health priorities to improve life for PwLL/LD. Limb loss affects tens of thousands of Americans each year, with an estimated 2 million Americans living with LL/LD, and more than 500 amputations performed per day. Setting The survey was developed to determine which areas of physical and mental health were most important to the LL/LD community. We asked two questions to assess the highest physical health and mental health priority for PwLL/LD. Categorical responses were developed based on previous evaluations and needs identified through the Amputee Coalition (AC) events and requests to the National Limb Loss Resource Center. Participants The survey was sent to the AC's network of ∼17,000 of PwLL/LD and we received n=1,705 valid survey responses. Consenting survey participants confirmed they were above the age of 18 and had LL/LD. Most participants were white (79.7%), aged 45-64 (42.7%), identified as male (53.3%), and had lower LL/LD (76.3%). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Respondents were asked to select and rank priorities for defining what would most dramatically improve their physical and mental health. Physical health priority options included phantom limb pain, elimination of chronic residual pain, strength and balance, and other categories. Mental health priority options included counseling, ability to exercise, peer support groups, techniques for better sleep, and other categories. Results The highest physical priority for people with upper limb loss was phantom pain (40, 16.5%) compared to strength and balance for people with lower limb loss (204, 16.2%), p=0.89. The highest mental health priority for people with upper limb loss was equally shared between improved sleep, medication to treat mental health, and the ability to exercise (30, 12.5%) compared to just the ability to exercise for people with lower limb loss (365, 30.2%), p Conclusions Exercise and pain management are critical priorities for improving the lives of PwLL/LD. Author(s) Disclosures None.