Microprocessor knee receipt within 12 months post-amputation is associated with greater odds of employment for individuals living in distressed communities.

Abstract

Investigate the impact of microprocessor knee provision in the first 12 months post-amputation on employment status of individuals living in distressed communities. A retrospective chart analysis of 357 individuals with transfemoral amputations living in distressed communities across the United States was performed, including age, sex, mobility, etiology, insurance type, and prosthetic knee type as independent variables and employment status as the dependent variable. Community distress was determined by patient ZIP code and the Distressed Communities Index (DCI). Individuals living in distressed communities who received a microprocessor knee in the first year post-amputation had 2.71 times greater odds of being employed than those who received a non-microprocessor knee, even when controlling for other factors. Younger age, higher mobility, amputation not due to vascular disease/diabetes, and commercial insurance further contributed to greater odds of being employed. Provision of microprocessor knees may facilitate improved rates of returning to work for individuals post-amputation living in distressed communities.