IntroductionAlthough individuals with lower limb amputation may benefit from participation in sports, less than 40% do so.AimTo identify the barriers and facilitators that influence participation in sports for individuals with lower limb amputation.DesignQualitative study.ParticipantsTwenty six individuals with lower limb amputation, all originating from the Dutch provinces of Groningen and Drenthe, of which 13 athletes.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were used to gather information. Following thematic analysis, emerging themes were organized in three categories Technical, Social and Personal.ResultsSport was perceived as enjoyable activity that would help participants to become and stay healthy, improve the number of social contacts, reduce phantom pain and decrease daily tension. Inadequate facilities, problematic transportation, trivialization from others, poor health and lack of motivation or the lack of a sports partner were barriers commonly mentioned by non-athletes. Remarkably, while all athletes were successful prosthetic users, the majority chose to participate in sports for which prosthesis was neither required nor needed.ConclusionsEach individual with lower limb amputation needs to be counselled according to the barriers and facilitators he/she personally experiences. Athletes appeared to be more proactive in searching for a solution and also appeared less discouraged by failing.

Background:Sport prostheses are used by both upper- and lower-limb amputees while participating in sports and other physical activities. Although the number of these devices has increased over the past decade, no overview of the peer reviewed literature describing them has been published previously. Such an overview will allow specialists to choose appropriate prostheses based on available scientific evidence rather than on personal experience or preference.Objective:To provide an overview of the sport prostheses as they are described by the papers published in peer reviewed literature.Study Design:Literature review.Methods:Four electronic databases were searched using free text and Medical Subject Headings (MESH) terms. Papers were included if they concerned a prosthesis or a prosthetic adaptation used in sports. Papers were excluded if they did not originate from peer reviewed sources, if they concerned prostheses for body parts other than the upper or lower limbs, if they concerned amputations distal to the wrist or ankle, or if they were written in a language other than English.Results:Twenty-four papers were included in this study. The vast majority contained descriptive data and consisted of expert opinions and technical notes.Conclusion:Data concerning the energy efficiency, technical characteristics and special mechanical properties of prostheses or prosthetic adaptations for sports, other than running, are scarce.Clinical relevanceAn overview of the peer reviewed literature will enable rehabilitation specialists working with amputees to choose a prosthesis that best suits their patients’ expectations on the available scientific evidence. Identifying the information gaps present in the peer reviewed literature will stimulate new research and eventually broaden the base of scientific knowledge.

The majority of individuals with ULD participate in sports regularly. The presence of an additional medical problem, as well as the level of ULD, educational level and participation in sports before amputation, was related to participation in sports.