Purpose: Explore lower limb prosthesis (LLP) users' experiences with injurious falls.
Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse group of 24 LLP users from across the United States. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using a qualitative, phenomenological approach with a constructivist paradigm.
Results: Three themes emerged: (1) consequences of injurious falls extend beyond bodily damage to include adverse psychological outcomes and damage to the prosthesis, (2) treatment from a physician is not required for a fall to be considered injurious, and (3) injurious falls influence activities LLP users engage in, strategies they adopt to perform them, and how frequently they participate in them.
Conclusion: When describing injurious falls LLP users report a broader range of experiences than the literature suggests. These experiences include outcomes unique to LLP users, such as damage to the prosthesis. Our findings indicate that traditional approaches to classifying injurious falls may need to be reconsidered. We propose the term "falls of consequence" to capture the spectrum of adverse, meaningful fall-related outcomes LLP users experience, which can be further categorized into physical, functional, and psychological outcomes. Improved documentation of consequential falls may enable more nuanced and meaningful evaluations of fall prevention interventions.
Clinical trials registration: Not applicable.
Keywords: Accidental falls; amputation; artificial limbs; patient outcome assessment; qualitative research; wounds and injuries.
Falls are a top physical health concern for lower limb prosthesis users.Understanding lower limb prosthesis users’ experiences with injurious falls may improve our ability to evaluate their impact on users’ lives.For each reported fall, clinicians should document outcomes beyond bodily damage alone, including functional and psychological consequences.