GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DISSERTATION Topicality of the problem Prosthesis in orthopaedic technique are constructions that act as leg function reproduction and for external normal view of the leg. It is a technique giving a possibility to adapt to the society and live a full-fledged life, when one or another limb is lost. By the data, declared by the world health society, people with a disability include 10 % of all world population, among them people over 80 years old. More and more orthopaedic techniques are produced in Lithuania at present. The production, manufactured in our country keeps in step with world design and quality in foreign countries and they are 5–6 times cheaper. The main aim of the designers and constructors of orthopaedic techniques is to design and produce functional and high quality lower limbs prosthesis and apparatus. In the meantime, the same as abroad, in Lithuania the production processes of the prosthesis are automated but not so much to ensure a good quality of the prosthesis. Sometimes it is very hard to make prosthesis of adequate size to a patient that prosthesis implicitly fits just to the patient. Also, it is very hard to adjust it, ensuring the same length as the residual limb which should precisely correspond to the lost limb of the changeable loads chains of the prosthesis periodically are deformed during walking. In other words, the length of the prosthesis changes during gait. Thus, it is very important to set the limits of... [to full text]

Syfte: Syftet  med  studien var  att undersöka  om  det  finns  en skillnad  i  livskvalité mellan  individer  med  transfemoral  amputation  som använder  mikroprocesstyrd knäkomponent (MPK) respektive mekanisk knäkomponent (Mek.). Design: Tvärsnittsstudie Försökspersoner: 14 protesbrukare  med unilateral transfemoral amputation (10 män, 4 kvinnor; 4 Mek., 10 MPK), amputerade på grund av trauma, kongenital orsak, infektion eller tumör och som använt sig av samma typ av knäled i minst ett år. Metod: För  att  studera  livskvalité  i  målpopulationen  genomfördes  en enkätundersökning bestående av RAND-36 samt kompletterande frågor. Deltagarna fördelades i två grupper med avseende på knäkomponent för att möjliggöra analys av resultaten. Resultat: Ingen signifikant  skillnad  i livskvalité uppmättes mellan  grupperna. De största  skillnaderna observerades  dock  i  den fysiska-  (Mek.:  0 MPK:  50) och emotionella (Mek.: 41,75 MPK: 100) rollfunktionen. Slutsats: Resultatet  i  studien  visade  ingen  signifikant  skillnad i  livskvalité mellan grupperna. Vidare  bör  mer  specifika  mätinstrument,  inriktade  mot  individer  med amputation, användas för att undersöka livskvalité i målpopulationen. / Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate if there is a difference in qualityof  life  (QoL)  between  individuals  with  a  transfemoral  amputation  usingmicroprocessor-controlled  knee  components  (MPK)  versus  mechanical  kneecomponents (Mech.). Design: Cross-sectional study Subjects: 14 prosthesis users with a unilateral transfemoral amputation  (10 men, 4women; 4 Mech., 10 MPK), amputated due to trauma, congenital reasons, infection ortumor and used the same prosthetic knee for at least one year. Method: To study QoL in the  population concerned a questionnaire was carriedout, including the RAND-36 and supplementary questions. The  participants  were divided into two groups with regard to the knee component to enable the results to be analyzed. Results: No significant difference in QoL were found between the groups. The largest differences were observed in physical (Mech.: 0 MPK: 50) and emotional (Mech.: 41.75MPK: 100) role function. Conclusion: The result of the study showed no significant difference in QoL between the groups. Furthermore, specific measuring instruments targeting individuals with amputation should be used to investigate quality of life in the population concerned.