Pediatric Patients with Postburn Amputations Report Worse Long-term Physical Function but Not Self-Appearance: A Burn Model System Study

Abstract

Abstract Some severe burn injuries may warrant amputation; however, the physical and functional adjustments resulting from postburn amputation can have long-term consequences. This study investigates longitudinal functional and psychosocial outcomes among pediatric burn amputees. Pediatric participants enrolled in the Burn Model System national longitudinal, multicenter database between 2015 and 2023 with postburn amputations were included. Participants with amputations were matched using nearest-neighbor matching to those without amputations based on burn location, age, and % total burn surface area burn size. Primary outcomes were the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pediatric-25 Profile v2.0 Physical Function and the Children Burn Outcomes Questionnaire: appearance subscore, both measured at 6-, 12-, and 24 months postburn. In this study, 17 participants had amputations, and 17 did not (matched participants). Pairwise analyses at each timepoint found those with amputations reported significantly lower physical function scores at 24 months postburn (54.9 ± 11.6 vs 66 ± 5, P = .013). No significant differences were found in appearance scores. This study suggests that pediatric burn amputees may potentially face greater physical impairment long-term, highlighting an important area of research that deserves further attention.