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Veterans with lower extremity amputations report better mental health scores at long-term follow-up
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Researchers who analyzed veterans of the Iran-Iraq war who had hip disarticulation and a transpelvic amputation found better scores in the mental component of a Persian version of the SF-36 than in the physicial component at average 26-year follow-up.
“[Veterans] with amputations need long-term care and follow-up that starts in the war field. Supervision starts with stump management and the use of suitable surgical techniques at the time of the injury and continues with periodic examinations throughout life,” Mohamad H. Ebrahimzadeh, MD, and colleagues wrote in their study. “With this approach, we can promote the quality of life of those people who have sacrificed their health to serve their country.”
Ebrahimzadeh and colleagues analyzed 76 veterans who had an average age of 44.1 years at the time of follow-up at 26.6 years, according to the abstract. The veterans scored an average 45.85 points in the physical component and 57.98 in the mental component in the Persian version of the SF-36.
Regarding pain, 45 veterans with a primary amputation and 10 veterans with a secondary amputation reported pain at the amputation site, according to the abstract.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
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