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Rigid Dressings for Lower Limb Amputees: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

To systematically investigate the efficacy and safety of rigid dressings for postoperative management in lower limb amputees.

Recent Findings

There has been ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness of various postoperative management methods, including rigid and soft dressing, for individuals with lower limb amputations. Previous meta-analyses focused on specific outcomes and included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs. This study adds non-randomized studies of intervention (NRSI) to supplement existing evidence and provides a comprehensive analysis of efficacy and adverse events outcomes.

Summary

The significant results that favor the use of the rigid dressings included a reduction in the time to wound healing, time to prosthetic fitting, stump volume, and post-operative pain, as well as a lower incidence of adverse events of revision and joint contracture. However, caution is needed in interpreting these results due to the high risk of bias among the included studies.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, The Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand

    Nantawan Koonalinthip, Chernkhuan Stonsaovapak, Timporn Vitoonpong & Araya Jaroenarpornwatana

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Nantawan Koonalinthip & Chernkhuan Stonsaovapak

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  1. Nantawan Koonalinthip
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Correspondence to Chernkhuan Stonsaovapak.

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Koonalinthip, N., Stonsaovapak, C., Vitoonpong, T. et al. Rigid Dressings for Lower Limb Amputees: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep 11, 352–366 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-023-00406-6

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