• Courtney M Butowicz, Melvin D Helgeson, Alfred J Pisano, John W Cook, Christopher L Dearth, and Brad D Hendershot.
• Neuromusculoskeletal Outcomes Lead Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Research and Surveillance Division, Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, Research & Engineering Directorate, Defense Health Agency, Building 19, Room B312, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
• Mil Med. 2023 Nov 3; 188 (11-12): e3349e3355e3349-e3355.

IntroductionLow back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent after lower limb amputation (LLA). Reports describing longitudinal changes in spine health before and after amputation are rare. This study describes lumbar spine pathology, muscle morphology, and the continuum of care for LBP before and after LLA.Materials And MethodsWe queried electronic medical records of patients who sought care for LBP before and after unilateral LLA between January 2002 and April 2020 and who had documented lumbar imaging pre- and post-LLA. Patient demographics, muscle morphology, spinal pathology, premorbid and comorbid conditions, self-reported pain, and treatment interventions were assessed.ResultsFour patients with LBP and imaging before and after LLA were identified. Intervertebral disc degeneration progressed after amputation in three patients, whereas facet arthrosis progressed in both female patients. The fat content of lumbar musculature generally increased after amputation. Conservative management of LBP before and after amputation was standard, with progression to steroidal injections.ConclusionsLumbar spine health may degrade after amputation. Here, lumbar muscle size did not change after LLA, yet the fat content increased in combination with increases in facet and intervertebral disc degeneration.Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2022. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

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