Interdisciplinary Care Provided in a Rural Setting to Patient with Below-Knee Amputation

As a result of severe injury, limb amputation remains a pivotal procedure to preserve residual function of an injured extremity. Complications following amputation can impact successful rehabilitation. This case report aims to highlight the clinical importance of interdisciplinary care demonstrated by a 65-year-old Caucasian male below-knee amputee (BKA) who presented to an amputee clinic with complaints of right distal tibia pain. He reported that he was seen at a small rural clinic and was told he had "deterioration of his tibia". Physical exam revealed a well-healed below-knee amputation stump with tenderness to palpation of the right lateral distal residual fibula. Upon prosthetic modifications managed by our prosthetist, the patient's symptoms persisted. Further work up by Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) revealed a sharp edge to the distal fibula and the need for surgical revision by plastic surgery. Conditions resulting from the initial operation left this patient with factors that significantly impacted the process of restoring function to this BKA. Management of care for amputees commonly involves a variety of healthcare provider consisting of, but not limited to, primary care, physiatrists, prosthetists, plastic surgeons, and physical and occupational therapists. The aim of this case report is to illustrate how the fundamental collaboration rooted in interdisciplinary care is paramount to ensure that comprehensive care is delivered to this complex patient population that reside in rural areas.