Session Information
Date: Friday, November 13, 2020
Session Title: Live Poster Session: General Rehabilitation
Session Time: 12:45pm-1:45pm
Disclosures: Natalie Webster, Undergraduate: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest
Objective: To describe the frequency and severity of shoulder pain in persons with unilateral major upper limb amputation and determine the association between pain and other person, amputation, and prosthesis characteristics.
Design: Cross-sectional, observational design Setting : National recruitment of persons living in the community Participants : United States Veterans and civilians (N=112) with unilateral major upper limb amputation who used an active prosthesis
Interventions: Not applicable
Main Outcome Measures: Shoulder pain (ipsilateral and contralateral to amputation), person characteristics (age and arm dominance), amputation characteristics (level and time since amputation), prosthesis characteristics (type and intensity of prosthesis use)
Results: Participants (N=112) completed an in-person assessment including an amputation-specific history and physical exam. Participants were 97% male with a mean age of 56.7 years and a mean time since amputation of 22.5 years. The most common amputation level was transradial (67%) and 59% utilized a body-powered type of prosthesis. The prevalence of shoulder pain was 31% (15% ipsilateral, 25% contralateral, 10% bilateral) and shoulder pain intensity (on a 0 to 10 scale) was rated moderate on both the ipsilateral (mn 4.9 sd 2.0) and contralateral (mn 4.2, sd 2.0) sides. Shoulder pain was more common in those using a body-powered prosthesis (40% compared to 15% in myoelectric users) and in those with transhumeral (31%) compared to transradial amputation (29%). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that shoulder pain is a common condition in persons with major upper limb amputation that use active prostheses. Shoulder pain was more frequent in the shoulder contralateral to the amputation, in those with transhumeral level amputation, and in those who utilize a body-powered prosthesis.
Level of Evidence: Level III
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Webster N, Webster JB, Resnik L. Frequency and Severity of Shoulder Pain in Persons with Major Upper Limb Amputation Who Use Prostheses: Results of a National Study [abstract]. PM R. 2020; 12(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/frequency-and-severity-of-shoulder-pain-in-persons-with-major-upper-limb-amputation-who-use-prostheses-results-of-a-national-study/. Accessed May 26, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2020
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/frequency-and-severity-of-shoulder-pain-in-persons-with-major-upper-limb-amputation-who-use-prostheses-results-of-a-national-study/