Telangana rehabilitating amputees with satisfactory results, says study

State-sponsored, institute-based supply of advanced artificial limbs at free of cost to the beneficiaries is a replicable and feasible option for optimal rehabilitation of amputees with appropriate prosthesis, says study.

Hyderabad: The Telangana government’s initiative at rehabilitating amputees through advanced artificial limbs at Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) has been published in the prestigious peer-reviewed Journal of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Rehabilitation.

Conducted by senior doctors from NIMS and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bibinagar, the study published this August said ‘State-sponsored, institute-based supply of advanced artificial limbs at free of cost to the beneficiaries is a replicable and feasible option for optimal rehabilitation of amputees with appropriate prosthesis”.

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The retrospective cohort study included 136 amputees who were rehabilitated with advanced artificial limbs between 2017 and 2021 by the NIMS Orthopaedics wing. These amputees received 142 advanced artificial limbs and were highly satisfied at the end of the procedure and confident of independent living, the researchers said.

The NIMS and AIIMS researchers in the study highlighted institutional support, like in Telangana, will ensure amputees lead a successful life.

“Amputees require adequate rehabilitation for leading an independent and useful life. Paucity of institutional support and monitory challenges keep them away from advanced artificial limbs. State-sponsored, institute-based supply of advanced artificial limbs free of cost is a replicable and feasible option for rehabilitation of amputees with an appropriate prosthesis at the lowest possible price incurred by the state,” noted the study.

With the support from the State government, the researchers procured advanced artificial limbs from renowned vendors. “By this process, we could procure advanced prosthesis at reasonably lower rates (30 per cent to 70 per cent lesser than the earlier market rates) duly saving public money released by the State government. This made it possible to support as many amputees as possible without compromising on the quality of the prosthesis or the requirements of the amputee,” the NIMS researchers pointed.

The researchers who were part of the study included Dr. Maheshwar Lakkireddy, Dr. Gangadhar Taduri, Dr Manohar Kandakatla, Dr Nagesh Cherukuri, Dr Raju Iyengar, Dr Chandrashekar Patnala and Dr Madhu Latha Karra.