Effects of physical activity and sport participation on post-traumatic lower-limb amputees: a Systematic Review

This final work was designed as a Systematic Review, a study design type which consists in the research of scientific literature and the selection of articles meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria and following a strict methodological process and protocol. This serves as a powerful instrument to fulfill the aim of answering a clinical question or, if not possible, expose gaps in areas of high clinical importance underneath medical literature. The main event upon which this thesis focuses is amputation of lower limb and related to acquired and traumatic causes. In the first chapter this issue will be studied, described and placed into its global and local context, to allow a better understanding. Subsequently, in the second chapter the objective will be exposed, which consists in investigating the association between participation in Physical Activity or Sports Programs for this population and outcomes related to Physical and Functional Fitness and Capability, Quality of Life or Mental Health and Well-being. For each one of these three areas there will be a much deeper analysis of the importance of concentrating on these outcomes when dealing with post-traumatic lower limb amputees. The third chapter will enter the methodological part of this work, fully describing the Materials and Methods that will be used as protocol for the realization of the study. These consists in the explanation of the study design and the delimitation of inclusion and exclusion eligibility criteria, the description of the sources and search strategy used, and the protocol applied, as long as the data items categorization strategies. In the fourth chapter the results of the study will be exposed, starting from the selection process, through study characteristics and the outcomes and effects of each study. The articles included will be grouped and classified according to their similarities regarding interventions, outcomes sought, and effect produced. The fifth chapter will offer an overview of the previous chapters, aiming to draw all possible conclusions after summing up the results which emerged from the study and put into the context of what is already known. After that, the limitations and critical parts of the work will be analyzed, leading to the display of the conclusions and the implications for future research. The sixth, seventh and eighth chapters will finally serve as reference to provide the reader with clear and precise notes and citations regarding what will be written in the thesis. These are divided into literature and websites references and tables of figures and of tables.