Is residual limb maturation necessary?: Issues related to rehabilitation transtibial prostheses and keys to solutions

Abstract

Limb shrinkage or maturation is defined as “controlling edema of residual limb and promoting stable limb volume to avoid frequent changes in the size and configuration of the prosthetic socket”. Therefore, the most rational methods may be: 1. immediate post-op prevention of edema, and 2. Use of intermediate prostheses with easy adjustment. There have been several reports related to the latter one, however, very few cases of rigid dressings have been reported in Japan. The author recommends that this Society builds up evidence of methods for edema prevention/control with related societies/organizations.