Anna,
Sorry was confused at first as you've addressed this to Karen.
Yes I use the two bathroom scales to quantify how much wt bearing an amputee
is putting through their residual limb, in all phases of their rehab, until
they are 100% full wt bearing on their prosthesis at the end of phase 3 (of
3).
I use the scales as their balance exercises are progressed from level
surfaces to incline surfaces to unstable surfaces (unstable surface = a
trampoline, although standing on a scale on a trampoline is not as unstable
as just standing on the trampoline itself; if safety is an issue then I use
the scale under the sound limb and simple math then tells me the percentage
wt bearing through the residual limb or prosthesis).
My ability to quantify the wt bearing, however grossly with the scales, is
better in my humble opinion, than trying to guess or by asking the patient.
It provides valuable feedback to the rest of team, particularly the
prosthetists. I hope I answered your question/comment.
Linda McLaren, B.Sc. PT
Physiotherapist, Amputee Team
GF Strong Rehab Center
4255 Laurel Street
Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 2G9
[log in to unmask] (work)
[log in to unmask] (home)
----- Original Message -----
From: Anna <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2001 1:55 PM
Subject: Re: Partial weight bearing
> Hello Karen,
>
> This sounds great - have you quantified the amount or difference in weight
> when standing with both feet on unsteady surface such as two bathroom
> scales - does that have an effect on the amount that is placed through the
> less effective limb?
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Anna.
>
>
> Anna Lee
> Principal,
> Work Ready Industrial Athlete Centre
>
> Write to me at: [log in to unmask]
>
> Visit me at: www.workready.com.au
>
> Snail mail:
> Suite 3, 82 Enmore Road,
> Newtown NSW 2042
> Australia
>
> Phone: (612) 95197436
> Fax: (612) 95197439
> Mob: 0412 33 43 98
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "McLaren, L" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, 7 January 2001 4:38
> Subject: Re: Partial weight bearing
>
>
> > Partial wt bearing in my area of interest (amputee rehabilitation) is a
> > specific clinical tool, and I use two bathroom scales to quantify
exactly
> > how much wt an amuptee is taking through their residual limb, as a
> > percentage of total body weight. Often amputees have had orthopaedic
> trauma
> > in addition to their amputation.
> >
> > When amputees are first given their prosthesis in the initial fitting
apt.
> > the prosthetist oftens asks them 'how much wt are you taking through the
> > artificial limb'. The client's response varies, but is often as much as
> > 50%; given that this is often the first time they have stood up and
> 'walked'
> > in the parallel bars, I often wondered how accurate the patient was, and
> how
> > precise the prosthetist was in 'guessing' with their eyes, how much wt
was
> > being taken through the artificial limb. And so started my attempts at
> > quantifying this and the most practical tool was two bathroom scales.
> >
> > I now measure on a biweekly basis how the numbers change, the wt bearing
> > tolerance on the prosthetic side as a percentage of total body weight.
> This
> > number is useful to the team, when it suddently changes for no apparent
> > reason; something is going on within the socket-residual limb interface
> that
> > causes pain to prevent wt bearing.
> >
> > Can patient's wt bear to a specific percentage of body wt? Absolutely,
> when
> > they are given feedback that quantifies the amount of wt. For an
amputee
> > they learn that the amount of pressure they feel coming up through their
> > prosthesis onto their residual limb, and the position of their body
> relative
> > to that constitutes midline or 50% of their body weight on each limb.
For
> > patients who have spent a period of time on crutches, due to ortho
trauma,
> > amputation, etc the shift in midline to their 'new normal' can be a
> > frustrating thing for a physiotherapist to treat.
> > Linda McLaren, B.Sc. PT
> > Physiotherapist, Amputee Team
> > GF Strong Rehab Center
> > 4255 Laurel Street
> > Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 2G9
> > [log in to unmask] (work)
> > [log in to unmask] (home)
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2001 3:43 AM
> > Subject: Partial weight bearing
> >
> >
> > > A student was talking to me the other day about partial weight
bearing.
> As
> > a
> > > consequence of our discussion the following issues arose, and I would
be
> > > interested to hear your views. If you are aware of any research in the
> > area
> > > I would also be interested as the student has not (so far) managed to
> find
> > > anything relevant.
> > >
> > > It appears that some therapists give quite specific instructions about
> how
> > > much weight should be taken through a limb when a patient is partial
> > weight
> > > bearing. For example the patient should only take 50% of body weight.
> But
> > do
> > > we have any evidence to support this level of precision?
> > >
> > > Is there any research into how strong (perhaps as a percentage of
> original
> > > 'strength') a bone is in the later stages of healing (union and
> > > consolidation)?
> > >
> > > Does anyone know of any evidence that patients are able to weight bear
> to
> > a
> > > specified level or is it rather a nonsense to tell a patient to take
50%
> > of
> > > his/her weight?
> > >
> > > Just out of curiosity I wonder what sort of instructions clinical
> > > colleagues give when trying to convey the concept of partial weight
> > bearing
> > > to a patient. Obviously some use a percentage of body weight, others
> > appear
> > > to suggest to patients that there is a tomato or an egg under the sole
> of
> > > the foot and it should not be squashed!
> > >
> > > Marion Trew
> > > University of Brighton
> > > UK
> > >
> >
>
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