Servicemembers and veterans with major traumatic limb loss from Vietnam war and OIF/OEF conflicts: survey methods, participants, and summary findings

• Published in: Journal of rehabilitation research and development 2010-01, Vol.47 (4), p.275-297
• Main Authors: Reiber, Gayle E, McFarland, Lynne V, Hubbard, Sharon, Maynard, Charles, Blough, David K, Gambel, Jeffrey M, Smith, Douglas G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Afghan Campaign 2001; Amputation; Amputation, Traumatic - epidemiology; Amputation, Traumatic - rehabilitation; Care and treatment; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disabled veterans; Female; Health aspects; Health services; Health Surveys; Humans; Implants, Artificial; Incidence; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Iraq War-2003; Male; Middle Aged; Military Personnel; Mobility Limitation; Patient Satisfaction; Polls & surveys; Prostheses; Prostheses and Implants - statistics & numerical data; Prostheses and Implants - utilization; Prosthesis; Rehabilitation; United States - epidemiology; Veterans; Vietnam Conflict; Vietnam War; Wounds and injuries; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0748-7711; 1938-1352
• DOI: 10.1682/JRRD.2010.01.0009

Care of veterans and servicemembers with major traumatic limb loss from combat theaters is one of the highest priorities of the Department of Veteran Affairs. We achieved a 62% response rate in our Survey for Prosthetic Use from 298 Vietnam war veterans and 283 servicemembers/veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) who sustained major traumatic limb loss. Participants reported their combat injuries; health status; quality of life; and prosthetic device use, function, rejection, and satisfaction. Despite the serious injuries experienced, health status was rated excellent, very good, or good by 70.7% of Vietnam war and 85.5% of OIF/OEF survey participants. However, many health issues persist for Vietnam war and OIF/OEF survey participants (respectively): phantom limb pain (72.2%/76.0%), chronic back pain (36.2%/42.1%), residual-limb pain (48.3%/62.9%), prosthesis-related skin problems (51.0%/58.0%), hearing loss (47.0%/47.0%), traumatic brain injury (3.4%/33.9%), depression (24.5%/24.0%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (37.6%/58.7%). Prosthetic devices are currently used by 78.2% of Vietnam war and 90.5% of OIF/OEF survey participants to improve function and mobility. On average, the annual rate for prosthetic device receipt is 10.7-fold higher for OIF/OEF than for Vietnam war survey participants. Findings from this cross-conflict survey identify many strengths in prosthetic rehabilitation for those with limb loss and several areas for future attention.