MILITARY MEDICINE, 181, 11/12:66, 2016
A Review of Unique Considerations for Female Veterans
With Amputation
COL Billie J. Randolph, SP USA (Ret.)*†; Leif M. Nelson, DPT*†; CPT M. Jason Highsmith, SP USAR*†‡
ABSTRACT This article explores unique considerations that face both women living with limb loss and their health
care providers. This demographic of patient has a higher rate of arti
ficial limb rejection, thus challenging providers to
address needs for cosmesis and function that varies from those of male counterparts. Health care providers for women
with amputations, such as the Veterans Affairs, must evolve health care delivery, research practices, and work jointly
with industry in order to meet the needs of this population.
Of the estimated 1.6 million people living with limb loss in
the United States in 2005, approximately 35% were female.
Among the Americans living with amputation, 45% were of
traumatic etiology and 19% of this subgroup were female.
1
Despite these numbers, females with amputation are studied
less than their male counterparts in prosthetic and amputee
rehabilitation research thereby limiting evidentiary support
for clinical decision-making in this demographic.
Within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),
female Veterans represent an expanding component of the
overall Veteran population. Nine percent of the overall Vet-
eran population is female,
2
and women make up 12% of the
personnel for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation
Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND).
Female Veterans with amputation make up approximately
2% of the Veteran amputee population. In 2013, the Veterans
Health Administration served 1,805 female Veterans with
amputations including 53 who served in OEF/OIF/OND.
A 2012 report from the VA Of
fice of the Inspector
General cited OEF/OIF/OND Veterans with amputations are
signi
ficant users of all health care services and require com-
prehensive interdisciplinary care to meet their needs.
2
Within
VA, female Veterans with amputation are seen more fre-
quently for rehabilitative and prosthetic services than their
male counterparts. Providers caring for female amputees
should consider that one in
five female Veterans screen posi-
tive for military sexual trauma and they are 22% more likely
to be diagnosed with a mental health condition compared to
male Veterans. Additionally, female Veterans are twice as
likely to be homeless
3
and have a higher unemployment rate
for 25- to 44-year-olds compared to female non-Veterans in
the same age range in the United States.
4
Of all women with
amputation that have domiciles, 57% are likely to live alone
compared to 36% of males with amputations.
5
Women generally require smaller prosthetic components
compared to men because of their smaller bone structure
and muscle mass.
6
–9
Commercially available prosthetic com-
ponents are not gender speci
fic and may be designed more
with typical male anthropometry, biomechanics, and func-
tion in mind. Therefore, dissatisfaction with prosthetic
fit
and appearance tends to be higher in the female population
living with limb loss.
10
Collectively, poor cosmesis, few
female-speci
fic components, heavy prosthetic weight, com-
bined with socket
fitting challenges can lead to skin integrity
concerns, pistoning, and unwanted noise. Although there is
no gender difference in use of upper limb prostheses by
individuals with congenital limb loss, 80% of females with
acquired proximal amputations reject their prosthesis com-
pared to 15% of males.
11
There seem to be no differences across gender for inten-
sity or frequency of residual limb pain or phantom limb
pain. However, females with amputations tend to report
greater pain, and that pain interferes with function to a
greater extent than males.
12
This pain also interferes with
activities of daily living including recreational and social
activities, communication, self-care, and learning new skills.
Functional outcome is not impacted by gender in the
same way it is affected by etiology, level of amputation or age
as measured by the 2-minute walk test.
13
Although all individ-
uals living with lower limb loss are at an increased risk of
comorbidities such as osteoarthritis in proximal and contralat-
eral joints, the risk of osteoarthritis among women with ampu-
tation is elevated 15% for each kg/m
2
.
14
This supports the
need to address weight management, lower extremity strength-
ening, and activity modi
fication in this specific demographic.
Another common pathology in women is osteoporosis.
Of the 44 million diagnosed with or at risk for the disease,
68% are female, and 80 to 90% of all prosthetic users have
a reduction of approximately 30% bone mineral density in
their residual limb.
15,16
This is increased in females com-
pared with males living with limb loss.
16
Thus, there is need
*Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, 2748 Worth
Road, Suite 29, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234.
†U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation and Prosthetics
Services, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420.
‡University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, School of
Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, 3515 E, Fletcher Avenue,
Tampa, FL 33613.
Contents of this article are the opinions of the authors and may not
represent those of the EACE or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-16-00262
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