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Prosthetic Needs of the Female Patient
2020 Annual Meeting Education Content
Keyword(s)
OS18
Credit Information
2.0 Credits (Scientific)
Author(s)
Matthew Major, PhD; Elizabeth Russell-Esposito, PhD; Andrew Hansen, PhD
Description
Women with lower limb loss represent a relevant and growing patient cohort with unique rehabilitation needs. These needs are emphasized in a growing body of literature and the most recent Veteran Affairs (VA)/Department of Defense (DoD) clinical practice guidelines. The rehabilitation challenges that women with limb loss face can span a broad range of healthcare services and are known to decrease quality of life. For instance, women with limb loss experience greater dissatisfaction with prosthetic fit and appearance and have more footwear limitations than men do. Despite these recognized challenges, women are still underserved in prosthetics research, which limits available information to guide the rehabilitation process. This organized session will discuss the unique rehabilitation challenges that women with lower-limb loss encounter, focused initiatives by the VA and DoD to address these challenges, and a selection of research methods evaluating the gait effects and mechanical function of women-specific prostheses. This session will offer attendees an opportunity to become better informed on research characterizing women-specific rehabilitation challenges and spur discussion on its consideration in research, clinical practice, and Academy education initiatives. Overall, attendees will become familiar with efforts to inform gender- specific evidence-based clinical practice and prosthetic technology to support the rehabilitation needs of prosthesis users of all genders.