Data Trends 2023: Limb Loss and Prostheses

Publish date: October 3, 2023

Slideshow below.

The VHA provides care for > 50,000 individuals with major limb loss, including those with amputations secondary to combat.¹Many of these veterans suffer from mental health conditions and diseases of connective tissue and the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.² In 2022, > 30,000 DoD beneficiaries had some level of upper limb amputation, representing 51.2% of the total population receiving amputation care within the Military Health System.³

The number of female veterans wearing a prosthesis is growing annually; there are unmet needs in the design and fitting of prostheses for these veterans.⁴ Improvements in prosthetic foot design may help increase social participation and other important outcomes for female veterans.⁵ Amputation System of Care sites and DoD Advanced Rehabilitation Centers provide additional rehabilitation services to active-duty service members and veterans with limb loss. Research is ongoing into improving amputation surgical techniques and advancing the quality and usability of prostheses, with the goal of helping veterans achieve a better quality of life through more mobility and self-confidence.

References

US Department of Veterans Affairs. Amputation system of care [fact sheet]. Published December 2022. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/factsheet/ASoC-FactSheet.pdf
US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. Veteran Affairs Inspector General healthcare inspection: prosthetic limb care in VA facilities. Published March 8, 2012. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-11-02138-116.pdf
Department of Veterans Affairs; Department of Defense. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Upper Limb Amputation Rehabilitation. Patient Summary. Published March 2022. Accessed April 10, 2023. https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/Rehab/ULA/VADoDULACPG_PatientSummary_Final_508.pdf
US Government Accountability Office, Report to Congressional Committees. Veterans Health Care: Agency efforts to provide and study prosthetics for small but growing female veteran population. Published November 2020. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-60.pdf
117th Congress. Access to Assistive Technology and Devices for Americans Study Act or the Triple A Study Act (H.R.2461). April 13, 2021. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/housebill/2461
Russell Esposito E, et al. Prosthet Orthot Int. 2023 Jan 2023. Online ahead of print. doi:10.1097/PXR.0000000000000192
US Department of Veterans Affairs. Center for Limb Loss and MoBility. Updated January 27, 2022. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.amputation.research.va.gov/
US Department of Veterans Affairs. Advanced Platform Technology Center. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.aptcenter.research.va.gov
Sanchez-Bustamante C. Limb loss: DHA's three advanced rehab centers provide holistic care. Medicine and the Military. Published May 3, 2022. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://health.mil/News/Articles/2022/05/04/Limb-Loss-DHAs-Three-Advanced-Rehab-Centers-Provide-Holistic-Care
Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology. VA Providence Healthcare System. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://centerforneuro.org
Webster JB. OPRA™ patient information sheet. US Department of Veteran Affairs, Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.rehab.va.gov/PROSTHETICS/asoc/resources/OPRA-PatientInformation.pdf
Hoyt BW, et al. Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(1):17-25. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1704623
Ewing amputation in veterans with PAD undergoing BKA. ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated October 31, 2022. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05437562

References

US Department of Veterans Affairs. Amputation system of care [fact sheet]. Published December 2022. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/factsheet/ASoC-FactSheet.pdf
US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. Veteran Affairs Inspector General healthcare inspection: prosthetic limb care in VA facilities. Published March 8, 2012. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-11-02138-116.pdf
Department of Veterans Affairs; Department of Defense. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Upper Limb Amputation Rehabilitation. Patient Summary. Published March 2022. Accessed April 10, 2023. https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/Rehab/ULA/VADoDULACPG_PatientSummary_Final_508.pdf
US Government Accountability Office, Report to Congressional Committees. Veterans Health Care: Agency efforts to provide and study prosthetics for small but growing female veteran population. Published November 2020. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-60.pdf
117th Congress. Access to Assistive Technology and Devices for Americans Study Act or the Triple A Study Act (H.R.2461). April 13, 2021. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/housebill/2461
Russell Esposito E, et al. Prosthet Orthot Int. 2023 Jan 2023. Online ahead of print. doi:10.1097/PXR.0000000000000192
US Department of Veterans Affairs. Center for Limb Loss and MoBility. Updated January 27, 2022. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.amputation.research.va.gov/
US Department of Veterans Affairs. Advanced Platform Technology Center. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.aptcenter.research.va.gov
Sanchez-Bustamante C. Limb loss: DHA's three advanced rehab centers provide holistic care. Medicine and the Military. Published May 3, 2022. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://health.mil/News/Articles/2022/05/04/Limb-Loss-DHAs-Three-Advanced-Rehab-Centers-Provide-Holistic-Care
Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology. VA Providence Healthcare System. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://centerforneuro.org
Webster JB. OPRA™ patient information sheet. US Department of Veteran Affairs, Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.rehab.va.gov/PROSTHETICS/asoc/resources/OPRA-PatientInformation.pdf
Hoyt BW, et al. Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(1):17-25. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1704623
Ewing amputation in veterans with PAD undergoing BKA. ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated October 31, 2022. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05437562

Federal Health Care Data Trends 2023

Data Trends 2023: Limb Loss and Prostheses

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