• Ehsan Modirian, Hadi Shojaei, Mohammad Reza Soroush, and Mahdi Masoumi.
• Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center, Tehran, Iran. e_modirian@jmerc.ac.ir
• Disabil Rehabil. 2009 Jan 1; 31 (22): 1878-81.

PurposeTo alert health professionals on presence and extent of phantom pain and sensation following bilateral upper limb amputation.MethodsOf a total of 140 war-related bilateral upper limb amputees in Iran, 103 subjects were thoroughly examined in this cross-sectional study by a physical medicine specialist. The patients were questioned for the presence of phantom pain and sensations, and frequency and intensity of the feeling were recorded.ResultsAt 17.1 +/- 6.1 years after injury, 82.0% of the 103 amputees suffered from phantom sensation, including varying degrees of phantom limb pain in 53.9% of stumps. Phantom phenomena had a higher frequency in the right extremities, but this was not statistically significant (p > 0.01). Of those amputees who had phantom pain or sensation, 51.2% reported that they 'always' had phantom limb sensation; and approximately one-fourth of the subjects (24.6%) 'always' had phantom pain. Among the stumps who reported phantom pain (N=112), the pain was excruciating (38.5%), distressing (34.9%) or discomforting (25.6%). A significant statistical relation between phantom limb sensation and level of amputation was observed (p < 0.01).ConclusionAt this time there is no healing for phantom pain; medical and surgical modalities only bring temporary relief, and less than 1% of the respondents achieve permanent relief through different treatment methods.

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