Clinical assessment of changes in basic prosthetic mobility using the component timed-up-and-go test: A retrospective cohort study in adults with lower-limb amputation.

Background: Ideally, an individual will undergo rehabilitation to optimize functional abilities with a prosthetic leg after lower-limb amputation (LLA). Using standardized outcome measures capable of capturing changes in prosthetic mobility provides the clinical utility necessary to evaluate treatment efficacy.

Objective: To assess the potential of the component timed-up-and-go (cTUG) in evaluating changes in basic prosthetic mobility tasks after a structured prosthetic training program.

Study design: Retrospective cohort.

Methods: Pre- and post-intervention data was analyzed from individuals referred to a prosthetic training program. Specific subtasks of cTUG were assessed (the 180° turn and sit-to-stand transitions), as well as the total time to perform the test.

Results: Complete data from 85 adults with unilateral LLA were analyzed. The study sample consisted of 75.3% of individuals with acquired LLA because of dysvascular causes, and 41.2% had transfemoral amputation. Individuals with transtibial amputation exhibited significantly faster performance of cTUG subtasks and total times than those with transfemoral amputation (P < 0.02). Stratified by amputation level, both groups exhibited significantly better cTUG scores upon final performance compared with initial performance in all subtasks and total time (P < 0.01). Furthermore, comparing cTUG times based on insurer (public or private insurance), individuals with private insurance generally outperformed those with public insurance, although significance varied based on amputation level.

Conclusions: cTUG exhibits the ability to capture changes in basic prosthetic mobility in individuals with varied causes and levels of LLA, enhancing confidence in the clinical utility of the test for measuring efficacy of interventions.