Case description:
Good residual limb skin health is vital to successful prosthetic prescription. Unnatural loading profiles and excessive sweating can lead to skin and soft tissue problems. Perforated liners allow the transport of moisture away from the skin and allow negative pressure (a condition that has been shown to aid wound healing) to act directly on the residuum surface.
Aim:
Assess the effects of perforated prosthetic liner use, particularly with respect to wound healing.
Method:
Three patient histories were retrospectively reviewed following prescription of perforated prosthetic liners due to excessive sweating or prolonged residual limb health concerns. Photographic records from patient files were used to document changes in residual limb condition. Patients also provided subjective feedback regarding their experiences.
Findings:
Two cases described active amputees with persistent blistering irritated during exercise. Another case described a patient of low mobility level with a history of residual limb skin infections. All saw their conditions heal and reported a reduction in problematic sweating. Two patients reported cancelling surgical interventions after substantial improvements with the perforated liner.
Discussion:
These findings provide evidence that the use of perforated prosthetic liners allow improvements in residual limb health, while still permitting prosthetic use.