Only 55% of amputees receive any rehabilitation after surgery

A review of 12,599 veterans with lower limb amputation found that only 55% received rehabilitation services after surgery. Among those who do receive rehabilitation, most do not progress beyond the level of function achieved at discharge from their initial acute stay. This means nearly half of all amputees are sent home after surgery without structured physical therapy to learn to use a prosthesis, manage their residual limb, or rebuild strength. Those who do get rehab often plateau at a basic level because their first round of therapy is too short and sets low goals. This matters because the window for successful prosthetic rehabilitation is time-sensitive: muscle atrophy, joint contractures, and deconditioning set in rapidly, and the longer an amputee goes without structured rehab, the less likely they are to ever achieve functional prosthetic use. The problem persists because hospital discharge planning is driven by insurance authorization and bed availability, not by rehabilitation readiness. Acute rehabilitation facilities are scarce, referral pathways are inconsistent, and there is no standardized post-amputation care pathway in the U.S. that mandates rehabilitation. Outpatient PT clinics often lack prosthetist-therapist coordination, so patients fall through the gap between surgical care and prosthetic fitting.