Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Degree Name
Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
Department
Occupational Therapy
First Advisor
Jan Stube
Keywords
Activities of Daily Living; Amputees -- psychology; Amputees -- rehabilitation; Body Image -- psychology; Perception
Abstract
Purpose: It was purposed that individuals using the Otto Bock C-Leg®, a microprocessor controlled prosthetic knee joint, may experience an enhanced level of functional independence. Secondly, it was hypothesized that with increased functional abilities and independence from using the C-Leg® comes a positive body image.
Methods: Following IRB approval, a purposive sampling method was used to recruit 8 adult volunteers from a regional rehabilitation hospital. Inclusion criteria for participants in this study included individuals who had a transfemoral amputation, were currently using the C-Leg®, were over the age of 18 years, and without cognitive limitations. Subjects were asked to complete a series of three surveys: the Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNL), the Situational Inventory of Body-Image Dysphoria (SIBID), and the C-Leg® Function & Body Image Survey (CFBIS). Survey questions pertained to personal satisfaction with the C-Leg®, functional independence, role performance, and body image.
Results: Response categories of functional role performance and body satisfaction were correlated to test the hypotheses. A Spearman’s rho of -.434 was calculated, showing a fair but not statistically significant relationship. Significant relationships were found between functional role performance and social integration (rs= .743), self-efficacy (rs=.863), personal relationships/sexuality (rs=.711), and psychological distress (rs=-.772). This relationship was supported by responses from the CFBIS indicating that the C-Leg® expands a client’s level of function, self-esteem, and motivation.
Conclusions: There was a fair correlation between functional role performance and body satisfaction in individuals using the Otto Bock C-Leg®. Individuals using the C-Leg® were found to exhibit patterns of improvement regarding improved lifestyle, activity performance, motivation, and self-confidence. The most common improvements in activity performance were found with walking, walking up and down stairs, participating in sports (i.e. basketball, hiking, and skating), work/employment activities, and decreased fatigue due to low requirement of energy expenditure. Body image was found to be improved due to the fact that individuals were able to walk with a more natural gait, and also felt more secure in public places because of the stability the C-Leg® offers.
Recommended Citation
Swanson, Erica L., "Function and Body Image Levels in Individuals with Transfemoral Amputations Using the C-Leg®" (2004). Occupational Therapy Capstones. 334.
https://commons.und.edu/ot-grad/334
