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Major traumatic limb loss among women veterans and servicemembers

This study explores the physical and mental health conditions, as well as rates of prosthetic prescriptions, among women veterans and servicemembers with major traumatic limb loss. It highlights the prevalence of comorbidities, the distribution and degree of limb loss, combat-associated injuries, and annual rates of prosthetic device receipt, replacement, and rejection. The findings reveal the unique health and healthcare needs of women veterans and servicemembers with traumatic limb loss.

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Major traumatic limb loss among women veterans and servicemembers

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  1. Major traumatic limb loss among women veterans and servicemembers Jodie G. Katon, PhD; Gayle E. Reiber, PhD

  2. Aim • Summarize physical and mental health conditions and rates of prosthetic prescriptions among women servicemembers and veterans with major traumatic limb loss. • Relevance • Women veterans are fastest growing group of new VA healthcare users. • Little is known about potentially unique health and healthcare needs of women servicemembers and veterans with traumatic limb loss.

  3. Method • Using existing data from Survey for Prosthetic Use, we compared men and women veterans and servicemembers with major traumatic limb loss on: • Health status. • Prevalence of comorbidities. • Distribution and degree of limb loss. • Combat-associated injuries. • Annual rates of prosthetic device receipt, replacement, and rejection.

  4. Results: Health • Health Status: • Most reported excellent, very good, or good health status (86%). • However, high high overall prevalence of arthritis (26%), phantom limb pain (76%), residual limb pain (63%), traumatic brain injury (34%), depression (24%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (59%). • Comorbidities: • Prevalence did not differ by sex, except for migraine. • Women had more than threefold higher reported prevalence of migraines than men.

  5. Results: Prostheses • Pain, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder higher among those not currently using prosthesis (vs using) but did not differ by sex. • Compared with men, women on average: • Received 0.42 more prostheses/year • Rejected 0.11 more prostheses/year • Replaced 0.18 fewer prostheses/year. This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Melcer T, Belnap B, Walker GJ, Konoske P, Galarneau M. Heterotopic ossification in combat amputees from Afghanistan and Iraq wars: Five case histories and results from a small series of patients. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2011; 48(1):1–12. DOI:10.1682/JRRD.2010.03.0033

  6. Conclusion • Compared with men, women with traumatic limb loss had similarly high levels of persistent physical and mental health conditions. • Men and women reported extremely high migraine headaches levels. • Women reported more than threefold higher prevalence than men. • Compared with men, women had higher rates of prosthesis receipt and rejection, but lower rates of replacement.

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