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Quality of life in young people with limb loss: a systematic review

Quality of life in young people with limb loss: a systematic review
Quality of life in young people with limb loss: a systematic review
Purpose: life after any amputation can be significantly altered and can have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL). However, most of the evidence base involves older aged amputees, therefore there is a lack of understanding about the impact of amputation on QoL and the factors that predict QoL in younger amputees. The aim of this review is to identify the factors that predict QoL in young amputees.

Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science were searched to identify articles that measured QoL in young amputees. Articles were independently assessed by two assessors. Data was extracted from the selected articles and a narrative synthesis performed.

Results: 18 articles were included in this review. QoL outcome measures varied between studies. The quality of evidence was generally low. This review identified, gender, age, cause of amputation, level of amputation, phantom pain, ability to use a prosthesis, physical function, depression, anxiety, body image, type of prosthesis as predictors of QoL.

Conclusion: this review identified modifiable and non-modifiable predictors of QoL in young amputees. Future research needs to focus on exploring the modifiable predictors of QoL as these are the aspects that can be improved to enhance QoL.

Implications for rehabilitation: life after any amputation can be significantly altered and can have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL).

Gender, age, cause of amputation, level of amputation, phantom pain, ability to use a prosthesis, physical function, depression and anxiety, body image and type of prosthesis were identified as predictors of QoL.

The ability to use a prosthesis and access to advanced prosthetic technology are important predictors of QoL as they allow for improved mobility, which in turn increases independence and therefore QoL.
0963-8288
4323-4334
Maciver, Marina
66a97108-f328-443b-bd6f-e64204ca6e9e
Dixon, Diane
37f4363e-cd68-4404-90e7-2515f43b1e79
Powell, Daniel
e1e53a46-a37b-425b-ac15-e82f99033f46
Maciver, Marina
66a97108-f328-443b-bd6f-e64204ca6e9e
Dixon, Diane
37f4363e-cd68-4404-90e7-2515f43b1e79
Powell, Daniel
e1e53a46-a37b-425b-ac15-e82f99033f46

Maciver, Marina, Dixon, Diane and Powell, Daniel (2024) Quality of life in young people with limb loss: a systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 46 (19), 4323-4334. (doi:10.1080/09638288.2023.2270908).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Purpose: life after any amputation can be significantly altered and can have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL). However, most of the evidence base involves older aged amputees, therefore there is a lack of understanding about the impact of amputation on QoL and the factors that predict QoL in younger amputees. The aim of this review is to identify the factors that predict QoL in young amputees.

Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science were searched to identify articles that measured QoL in young amputees. Articles were independently assessed by two assessors. Data was extracted from the selected articles and a narrative synthesis performed.

Results: 18 articles were included in this review. QoL outcome measures varied between studies. The quality of evidence was generally low. This review identified, gender, age, cause of amputation, level of amputation, phantom pain, ability to use a prosthesis, physical function, depression, anxiety, body image, type of prosthesis as predictors of QoL.

Conclusion: this review identified modifiable and non-modifiable predictors of QoL in young amputees. Future research needs to focus on exploring the modifiable predictors of QoL as these are the aspects that can be improved to enhance QoL.

Implications for rehabilitation: life after any amputation can be significantly altered and can have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL).

Gender, age, cause of amputation, level of amputation, phantom pain, ability to use a prosthesis, physical function, depression and anxiety, body image and type of prosthesis were identified as predictors of QoL.

The ability to use a prosthesis and access to advanced prosthetic technology are important predictors of QoL as they allow for improved mobility, which in turn increases independence and therefore QoL.

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Quality of life in young people with limb loss a systematic review (1) - Version of Record
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Accepted/In Press date: 6 October 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 22 October 2024

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 511476
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/511476
ISSN: 0963-8288
PURE UUID: 68328ad8-df02-43d4-ac12-35854442ee24
ORCID for Daniel Powell: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4995-6057

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Date deposited: 15 May 2026 16:56
Last modified: 16 May 2026 02:23

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Contributors

Author: Marina Maciver
Author: Diane Dixon
Author: Daniel Powell ORCID iD

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