Comparison of prosthetic costs and service between osseointegrated and conventional suspended transfemoral prostheses.

• Background: Nowadays, a transfemoral amputation prosthesis can be fitted to the skeleton using an osseointegrated implant, that is, without a socket. Treated patients have reported improvements in quality of life.Objectives: To investigate differences in prosthetic costs and service of osseointegrated prostheses compared to socket-suspended prostheses.Study Design: Retrospective cost analysis and survey.Methods: Costs and noted visits during in mean ~10 years were taken from one prosthetic workshop and included 50 patients with unilateral transfemoral amputation (36 socket-suspended prostheses, 20 osseointegrated prostheses, 6 patients used both kinds of prostheses). A survey comprised 71 patients (69% males; mean age = 52.3 year; cause: 66% trauma, 23% tumour, 11% other).Results: Statistically significant fewer workshop visits were shown with osseointegrated prostheses compared to socket-suspended prostheses (cost analysis: 3.1 vs. 7.2 visits/year, survey: 3.4 vs. 9.2 visits/year). The mean total annual cost of new prostheses, services, repairs and adjustments was 14% lower for osseointegrated prostheses than socket-suspended prostheses (€3149 and €3672 respectively, p = 0.632). A subgroup analysis of recent produced prostheses revealed cost of material to account for 92.5% for osseointegrated prostheses and 70% for socket-suspended prostheses.Conclusion: Despite significantly fewer visits for prosthetic service the annual mean costs for osseointegrated prostheses were comparable with socket-suspended prostheses. This study suggests it is due to more advanced prosthetic components being used with osseointegrated prostheses.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Ortopedi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Orthopaedics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Bone anchored prostheses; prosthetic costs; prosthetic service; transfemoral amputation prostheses

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)