A case of an elderly hip disarticulation amputee with rheumatoid arthritis who regained the ability to walk using a hip prosthesis.

This is a single case report, so it cannot show whether the prosthesis or the rehabilitation program caused the outcome. No control group or comparison was used, and many interventions happened together: physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, prosthesis fitting, exercise timing, and medication changes. The patient had enough residual strength, pain control, and motivation to stand and walk with single-leg support before prosthetic training, so the result may not apply to hip-disarticulation patients with poorer function or less controlled disease. Follow-up described in the paper extends only to about 2 months after discharge, so long-term walking, pain, prosthesis use, or safety are not established.

The authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that a hip prosthesis or the modified fastening method makes walking or pain reduction likely in older patients with hip amputation and rheumatoid arthritis. This is a single case report, and the patient also received physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, medication changes, and exercise timed to her pain, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.