Overseas Contingency Operations have produced many U.S. warfighters with lower extremity injuries. Although the U.S. military has access to state-of-the-art treatment and devices, warfighters with extremity trauma still struggle to regain full functional capabilities. A key factor that limits the ability of individuals with lower extremity trauma to achieve maximum functional capabilities is falls. Falls have serious consequences including loss of confidence, fear of falling, and injury. Warfighters with lower extremity trauma need to face the risk of falling and overcome that fear. After standard rehabilitation for amputation or limb salvage, many warfighters still struggle with falls, which can exacerbate physical and emotional injury and delay healing. When individuals trip or slip, they are still likely to fall and injure themselves, in spite of advances in rehabilitation care. The proposed project develops a secondary rehabilitation program, implemented after traditional therapy, and designed to reduce falls in warfighters with amputations or salvaged limbs.
Improved Training Program for Fall Prevention of Warfighters with Lower Extremity Trauma
2017
12 pages
Report
No indication
English