Last updated 01/2008 –
For bilateral leg amputees, rehabilitation should be emphasized as early as possible to maximize ambulatory potential and to help alleviate possible gait or motion control problems associated with contracture (the tightening of muscles around the residual joint, which can restrict an amputee’s range of motion). Other problems could result from abduction (the movement of the residual limb away from the center or mid-line of the body which can lead to excessive reductions in locomotion).1 Once this process has begun, the bilateral leg amputee, with the help of the medical team, will need to consider his or her respective levels of agility, balance, endurance and stability, since these are key considerations during the initial stages of ambulatory rehabilitation (relearning to walk or ambulate). Also relevant is the high amount of metabolic energy (heart rate, oxygen use, etc.) required to measure ambulatory potential (the potential of the patient to rehabilitate in conventional prostheses). These factors, along with other variables such as level and cause, are especially important for the elderly and/or physically unfit patient who will experience greater difficulty in achieving proper ambulation, especially if affected by diabetes and/or other vascular/cardiorespiratory conditions.