Virtual Reality in the Rehabilitation in Patients With Lower Limb Amputation.

Investigation of the Influence of Virtual Reality on the Postoperative Period After Major Amputation.

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the impact of virtual reality on rehabilitation for the patients after a major amputation.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does the virtual-reality-assisted rehabilitation improve the life quality of patients (i.e. lesser pain, better spirit)?
• Does the virtual-reality-assisted rehabilitation improve the daily life function of the patients? Participants will received a virtual-reality-assisted rehabilitation on the second postoperative day for ten days. The rehabilitation would be carried out two times per day and 30 minutes per training.

Despite the increasing development of revascularisation techniques, lower limb amputation often represent the last chance of survival for the vasculopathic patient with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI). First goal after lower limb amputation is represented by a rapid prosthesis application. The patient in the immediate post-operative period must undergo intensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy, which involves not only a physical but also a psychological approach.

"Classical" recovery following lower limb amputation includes adequate pain therapy and physiotherapy to regain independence, strength, mobility and finally prothesis application to improve quality of life and restore mobility. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of adding virtual reality to traditional rehabilitation following a lower limb amputation in patients due to limited circulation, with particularly attention to a possible improvement of psychological state, reduction of post-operative pain and more rapid improvement in regaining functional mobility

Inclusion Criteria:

• > 18 years
• critical limb ischemia or acute limb ischemia
• amputation above/below knee
• unilateral lower limb amputees

Exclusion Criteria:

• physical disability (paralysis, plegia)
• inability to give informed consent
• neurological or psychiatric problem that reduces compliance
• loss of planned post-operative assessments
• traumatic amputation in a patient without circulatory disorders