Referred phantom limbs sensation, telescoping, phantom limb pain and pre-amputation pain experience in adults traumatic limb amputee

Introduction/Background Phantom limb sensation always occur after sudden traumatic limb amputation. It follows a specific pattern that is related with body image (Melzack Theory). Phantom pain has a correlation with pre-amputation pain. Aims to find relationship between referred phantom limb sensation (RPLS), telescoping grade (PS), phantom limb pain (PP) and pre-amputation pain (PNPA). Material and method Six months prospective study, fifty adults, single traumatic limb amputee without stump pain, aged 17 to 55 years, men and women, allocated by consecutive random sampling into two independent groups, prosthetic group (P) and non-prosthetic group (NP). PP analyzed using VAS, PS and RPLS using modification visual and vividness movement imagery score. For PNPA, subjects answered questionnaire. Results Gender and age are homogenous ( P  = 0.445 and P  = 0.909). Within six months observation, increase in PS followed by RPLS and lower PP ( P P r  = 0.999, P P P Conclusion RPLS, PS and PP in adult traumatic limb amputee can determine the degree of phantom limb, as the results of somatotopic map reorganization (Melzack Neuromatrix and Neurosignature Theory). PNPA will develop into PP. Loss of ascending impuls caused by amputation will disinhibit cortical somatosensory pain memory. Without PNPA, no painful memory to build and no PP. However, phantom sensation is still there, memory of self-body perception was established since birth.