Hyperbaric oxygenation accelerates prosthetic rehabilitation of lower limb amputees.

The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy on prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with unilateral lower limb amputation. Narang's scale, the Locomotor Capabilities Index and the two-minute walk test were used to assess functional abilities of amputees on the admission and on discharge from hospital. We also kept records of some clinical parameters whose improvement enables better mobility of patients: thigh and lower leg girth, strength of amputation stump, existence of amputation stump contracture, existence of some other complications on amputation stump, blood oxygenation and pulse palpation. Our results show that hyperbaric oxygenation accelerates prosthetic rehabilitation of lower limb amputees. HBO2-treated patients were discharged from the hospital faster than the controls (hospitalized for 133.2 +/- 54.87 days vs. 158.36 +/- 53.05 days), they had improved arterial Hb saturation (97.40 +/- 3.51% vs. 94.74 +/- 3.28 %) and pulse palpability (pulse palpable in 27 vs. 18 subjects), less complications of the amputation stump (complications present in 24 vs. 30 subjects), greater healthy leg thigh girth (50.75 +/- 3.96 cm vs. 48.90 +/- 2.59 cm), stronger amputation stump (mark 3.90 +/- 0.54 vs. 3.33 +/- 0.47) and better functional abilities as measured by adapted Narang's scale (category 3.43 +/- 1.30 vs. 4.10 +/- 1.12) and locomotor capabilities index (score 38.06 +/- 10.90 vs. 33.16 +/- 8.80). These findings highlight the increasing validity of this procedure after limb amputation, which should be confirmed by further research in multicenter studies involving a larger number of respondents.