Lived experience of children and adolescents with lower-limb loss who used a prosthesis: A qualitative study

Abstract

Purpose: Children's and adolescents' level of activity, the type of activity, and other features are special to them and can result in unique experiences with lower-limb prosthesis. The specific objective of this study was to explore the lived experience of children and adolescents with lower-limb loss (LLL) who used a prosthesis. Methods: We used a descriptive qualitative study design and in-depth, semistructured, face-to-face interviews. Accordingly, 35 participants, including children and adolescents with LLL who used a prosthesis, their parents, and prosthetists, were interviewed. The collected data were analyzed thematically. Results: One hundred sixty-eight codes about the experiences of children, parent(s), and prosthetists were extracted from the transcripts and categorized into 32 subthemes. Finally, 7 broad themes including suitability, provoke reactions, intrinsic nature, infrastructures, the school, availability, and parenting role were extracted. Conclusion: The experiences of children and adolescents with lower-limb prosthesis are specific as each may face unique challenges and deal with different difficulties. In this study that has been conducted in a developing country, the main challenges faced by children using lower-limb prosthesis and their parents are the prosthetic components, social reactions, long distance, and costs of services. Moreover, designing a more natural prosthesis and gait training for children with LLL were the most important issues faced by prosthetists. However, close relationships with friends and family members, and children’s amazing ability to adapt can aid in facilitating prosthetic management.