View clinical trials related to Amputation.
Filter by:The investigators will investigate the device feasibility of human peripheral nerves and muscles recording and stimulation using percutaneous Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays (pUSEAs) implanted into residual peripheral arm nerves and EMG electrodes implanted in the residual muscles of patients with limb amputations in order to determine the ability of the HAPTIX (Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces) System to control an upper-extremity prosthesis, and to provide a sense of cutaneous touch and muscle proprioceptive feedback to the amputee.
Neuropathy is a costly and disabling health issue, which consists of a degeneration of the peripheral nerves. Even though the causes may be different, such as diabetes or amputation, the consequences for neuropathic patients are multiple and extremely debilitating. Among the alarming symptoms it implicates, chronic pain and sensory loss are among the most severe ones. Because of the loss of sensations, patients are forced to have an altered gait strategy, an impaired balance and a fivefold increased risk of falling. Furthermore, since they lose sensations and feel numbness in their extremity, they are discouraged in walking, hence leading to a sedentary lifestyle. All of this is worsened by the development of neuropathic pain, which has a high comorbidity with psychological issues, such as depression and anxiety. Today, proper treatments for neuropathic pain that exclude pharmacological solutions are still missing. This is due to the complexity of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the origin of neuropathy, the multifaceted physical and psychological nature of pain and the lack of reliable biomarkers. The aim of this project is to tackle the major problems connected to neuropathy thanks to non-invasive stimulation of the peripheral nervous system. The system is composed of an insole with pressure sensors that captures in real time the force exerted by the subject on the foot and couples this information with parameters of electrical stimulation. Thanks to optimal electrode placement and intensity modulation, subjects are able to perceive in real-time in a somatotopic manner (i.e., under their foot) how they are walking. The aim now is twofold: first the investigators want to couple this stimulation with Virtual Reality (VR) to develop a neuroadaptive non-invasive brain computer interface (BCI) to treat pain and secondly the investigators want to measure through fMRI scans whether the use of the sensory feedback system allows any beneficial plastic changes in the brain. Finally, the investigators want to measure through fMRI scans whether the use of the sensory feedback system allows any beneficial plastic changes in the brain.
Objective/Hypotheses and Specific Aims: The first aim of this proposal is to determine the effects of commercial prosthetic feet of varying stiffness on stability and falls-related outcomes in Veterans with TTA. The second aim is to determine whether a PFE can be used to predict stability and balance-confidence outcomes with corresponding commercial prosthetic feet. The third and final aim is to determine whether a brief trial of commercial prosthetic feet can predict longer-term stability and balance-confidence outcomes in Veterans with TTA. Study Design: The investigators will use a participant blinded cross-over study with repeated measurements in Veterans and Service members with TTA. Up to 50 participants will be enrolled at each of the two study sites VA Puget Sound and VA Minneapolis. Participants will complete up to 6 visits. After an initial assessment visit, participants will be assigned to the 'high' or 'low' mobility group, and then during visit 2 they will be randomized to use the PFE in three foot modes or the three corresponding actual (commercially available) feet during walking tests on difference surfaces in the laboratory (cross-slopes, inclines, even, and uneven ground). During visit 3 participants will repeat the procedures in the other condition (e.g., PFE if visit 2 included actual feet testing). At the end of visit 3 participants will be fit with one of the actual feet and wear it at home and in the community for approximately one week. At visit 4 participants will be fit with the next actual foot and repeat the 1 week use window. The same process will be followed for the final foot at visit 5, and the study foot will be returned at visit 6.
Phantom limb pain (PLP) is defined as pain or discomfort in a missing limb following amputation, whereas residual limb pain (RLP) is often experienced as pain at the site of amputation. Unfortunately, PLP can affect as many as 80% of upper- or lower-extremity amputees, with 40-60% also experiencing RLP. There are many theories regarding the mechanisms underlying these types of pain, but effective treatments remain elusive .Amputation of a limb is often accompanied by a traumatic event that can be emotionally devastating. Consequently, studies have reported high levels of depression in this population, up to 80%. Other studies have reported elevated levels of depression (70%), suicidality (30%) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, 20%) with PTSD being highly correlated with PLP. Thus, it is critical that effective treatments be employed that address, not only the chronic pain, but the comorbid conditions as well. Diet interventions have been utilized as a non-pharmacological method to reduce pain and/or inflammation. We have shown that a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) reduced pain independent of weight loss. Importantly, we observed a reduction in depressive symptomology and improved quality of life (QOL) following the LCD. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that the LCD may have beneficial effects of pain experience and also on measures of QOL. Phase 1: To characterize the dietary habits, pain severity and psychological well-being of the local amputee population. Hypotheses: We expect that the local population will show high prevalence of phantom limb pain (PLP) and/or residual limb pain (RLP). Self-report of depressive symptomology, poor-quality diet, will coincide with low QOL reports. Phase 2: To assess the feasibility and efficacy of a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) to reduce pain and increase QOL in amputees. Hypotheses: All participants will complete the 6-week LCD. Compared to baseline, a 6-week LCD will reduce self-reports of pain and depressive symptoms. Overall QOL will improve over 6 weeks with concomitant improved mood and sleep.
University Health Network (UHN), working together with local primary care practitioners, patients, and community healthcare services is developing a Diabetic Foot Care and Limb Preservation Care pathway. Our goal is to improve foot care for individuals living with diabetes. This study is using a method called developmental evaluation to help map out the system and to provide information in real-time so that the pathway can be adapted and respond to what is learned. The investigators are going to explore different factors (facilitators and barriers) and processes, which help or hinder the development, implementation, and adoption of the pathway. The investigators are also going to find out about the patient and provider's experiences with diabetic foot care, wound care, limb preservation, and amputation. Finally, the study team is going to look at value-based health care for the diabetic foot care pathways and document healthcare resource utilization, costs, and outcomes. The study team will conduct interviews of stakeholders, including patient representatives, and will examine the participation and engagement in the pathway, identifying barriers and facilitators of the process. Once the pathway has started, the study team will look at the way the care is delivered and satisfaction through surveys to patients and practitioners. The study team will also ask about patients' quality of life and their ability to manage diabetes. The study will aim to answer three key questions: What is happening? Why is it happening? and, What are reasonable prospects, and tools for change? The entire study is anticipated to take 3 years to complete.
Lower-limb amputation is associated with life-altering and life-limiting comorbidities. Currently, onus is on primary care providers to diagnose, educate, and refer patients for appropriate management. Recently our laboratory has found, however, that of adults post-amputation seen in an outpatient Limb Loss Clinic presenting with comorbidities, >50% are unaware they have signs of peripheral arterial disease and/or neuropathy. Lack of patient awareness and thus, inadequate comorbidity management, may contribute to suboptimal patient outcomes post-amputation. As a first step in this research line, the proposed project will help determine if comorbidity screening by prosthetists during routine care visits for patients post-amputation may enhance comorbidity awareness, increase patient satisfaction in prosthetic services, and reduce gratuitous prosthetic service utilization. During a follow-up visit, seventy patients following a unilateral lower-limb amputation will be randomized into either a standard-of-care group or a standard of-care plus group. The standard-of-care plus group will receive clinical screenings by a certified prosthetist for peripheral arterial disease, peripheral neuropathy, depression, and high-risk for persistent back pain; patient education on findings; and each participant's primary care provider will receive screening results. The long-term goal of this research is to determine if prosthetists can maximize their utility in an interdisciplinary care team, while enhancing patient outcomes post-amputation.
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of targeted muscle reinnervation on the outcomes of amputees at a level 1 trauma center. The investigators propose to randomize all patients requiring amputation with and without targeted muscle reinnervation. This study will help delineate the efficacy of targeted muscle reinnervation in the general population.
The study investigated the perceived-mobility of patients with unilateral lower limb amputations by means of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Such aspect may play an important role in evaluating the patient impairment and addressing forensic-medical issues. However, to this concern, the use of PROMs has not been extensively investigated yet. Among the validated PROMs, the study assessed self-perceived mobility and quality of life by administering the Trinity Amputation Prosthetic Evaluation Survey (TAPES) and the more recent Prosthetic Mobility Questionnaire (PMQ). The aim of this observational study was to improve the estimation of the physical and psychological impairment caused by the amputation, focusing on the impact of the limb loss on social participation, quality of life and daily living activities.
The vast majority of all trauma-related amputations in the United States involve the upper limbs. Approximately half of those individuals who receive a upper extremity myoelectric prosthesis eventually abandon use of the system, primarily because of their limited functionality. Thus, there continues to be a need for a significant improvement in prosthetic control strategies. The objective of this bioengineering research program is to develop and clinically evaluate a prototype prosthetic control system that uses imaging to sense residual muscle activity, rather than electromyography. This novel approach can better distinguish between different functional compartments in the forearm muscles, and provide robust control signals that are proportional to muscle activity. This improved sensing strategy has the potential to significantly improve functionality of upper extremity prostheses, and provide dexterous intuitive control that is a significant improvement over current state of the art noninvasive control methods. This interdisciplinary project brings together investigators at George Mason University, commercial partners at Infinite Biomedical Technologies as well as clinicians at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital. The investigators will optimize and implement algorithms for real-time classification and control with multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) using a miniaturized ultrasound system incorporated into a prosthetic socket. The investigators will then compare control performance between and sonomyography and myoelectric control (both direct control and pattern recognition) using a virtual environment as well as for performance of tasks related to activities of daily living. The investigators have two specific aims. Specific Aim 1: Compare between sonomyography and myoelectric direct control Specific Aim 2: Compare between sonomyography and pattern recognition with velocity control The successful completion of this project will lead to the first in human evaluation of an integrated prototype that uses low-power portable imaging sensors and real-time image analysis to sense residual muscle activity for prosthetic control. In the long term, the investigators anticipate that the improvements in functionality and intuitiveness of control will increase acceptance by amputees.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the efficacy of novel interventions in post-amputation surgical care (specifically Targeted Muscle Reinnervation and Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface) on post-amputation pain and functional outcomes at the time of amputation. These novel interventions have been shown to be successful in treating the downstream effects of amputations (pain, phantom limb pain, neuroma pain, etc.), but has not been studied in a randomized manner at the time of amputation.