Comparison of mobility and quality of life levels in sedentary amputees and amputee soccer players

Purpose:We aimed to compare the mobility and quality of life in male sedentary amputees and amputee soccer players. Methods: A total of 25 amputees who had a unilateral transtibial amputation, 12 soccer players and 13 sedentary individuals, were involved in this study. The Locomotor Capability Index-Turkish Version and the Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis Experience Scales (TAPES) were used to assess mobility and quality of life level, respectively. Results: The groups had no significant difference in mobility level (p>0.05). In accordance with the results on the quality of life, the soccer group had significantly better values than the sedentary group in two parameters of the TAPES measurement: the general psychosocial adjustment and the athletic activity restriction (p<0.05). Except psychosocial adjustment and athletic activity restriction subheadings, no significant different was observed in others of the TAPES between two groups. Conclusion: As a result, playing soccer was found to be effective for increasing the quality of life level of the amputee population, while its effects on mobility level were not clear.