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.

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