Prospective Intervention Study Using Immediate-Fit, Adjustable Prostheses for Persons With Lower Limb Loss in Botswana-A Feasibility and Patient Acceptance Trial.
Maikutlo Kebaetse, Ntsatsi Mogorosi, Jessica Kenia and 2 others
PMID 39668437WHAT IT FOUND
Eighteen patients were fitted quickly with adjustable lower-limb prostheses in Botswana.
At follow-up, 13 of 18 rated satisfaction 45.5 out of 60, but six stopped using them, with bulk, clothing fit, and thigh irritation reported.
Key findings
0113 of 18 fitted patients were assessed 4-9 months later and rated satisfaction 45.5 out of 60.
026 patients stopped using the prostheses about 3-4 months after fitting, and many reported the exposed pylon, bulk, clothing fit, and thigh irritation.
03Fitting used handheld tools and took about two hours, and most patients could ambulate with basic gait training by the end of fitting.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was small and used convenience sampling, so the fitted patients may not represent all people needing prostheses in Botswana. There was no control group or comparison with conventional prostheses, so the study cannot show that the iFIT device is better or more effective. Only 13 of the 18 fitted patients were assessed at follow-up, so satisfaction and continued use data are incomplete. The primary outcome was a subjective comfort and utility score, not an objective measure of walking, independence, or complications. Follow-up care was uneven; many participants, mostly in the south, did not have follow-up with prosthetists for gait training and adjustments, which may have affected device use. Waiting-time data were partly anecdotal and were not the study's main outcome.
Declared interests
The supplied text states there were no other conflicts of interest for the other authors listed. It does not report a funding source or a full conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that the iFIT prosthesis improves walking or should replace conventional prostheses. It was a small feasibility study with no comparison group, only 13 of 18 patients were assessed, and six stopped using the device.