advanced ankle-foot orthotic (AFO) device, the Intrepid
Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO), was developed at the
CFI. The IDEO offers an alternative treatment modality to con-
ventional AFOs and increases function of the injured limb
allowing patients to achieve relatively high levels of mobility
while simultaneously reducing pain levels.
10
When compared to
traditional, commercially available AFOs to include the posterior
leaf spring and Blue Rocker (Allard, Rockaway, New Jersey),
patients performed signi
ficantly better in all validated physical
performances measures when using the IDEO. The IDEO has
been shown to improve the functional capabilities of the LEI
population when accompanied with a comprehensive return to
run (RTR) clinical pathway.
11
For instance, a cohort of patients
prescribed an IDEO were found to have improved outcomes in
the domains of running, cycling, and self-reported decreased
amounts of pain.
10,11
The combination of the IDEO and RTR
pathway has been shown to change a patient
’s decision to
amputate and instead continue with their salvaged limb using
the IDEO.
12
Although the bene
fits of the IDEO device have been charac-
terized in the
fields of biomechanics and recreational activ-
ity
11,13
, there is a paucity of research detailing the descriptive
characteristics and injury patterns of the patients who have been
prescribed an IDEO. Moreover, little information exists quanti-
fying the percentage of patients that have undergone amputation
after being prescribed an IDEO and completing the RTR pro-
gram. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive epidemiologic
study was to comprehensively detail demographic and occupa-
tional characteristics of those who use an IDEO, categorize the
presenting injury, and quantify the proportion of patients who
underwent amputation after IDEO prescription. The overarching
study aims were to: (1) comprehensively describe the demo-
graphic and service characteristics of the CFI patient population
who used an IDEO and (2) identify IDEO prescription patterns
and rates of amputation. This research was the
first step in cre-
ating an injury pro
file of patients who will benefit most from
an IDEO and the subsequent rehabilitation. Creating such an
injury pro
file will provide clinicians information on which
patients can bene
fit the most from the IDEO and the RTR
training program.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The population under study included all injured service mem-
bers who were treated at the CFI during the period 2009
–2014.
Data were extracted from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter
Database (EMED), Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC),
Military Health System Data Repository (MDR), and the CFI
patient records. An analytic dataset was constructed with vari-
ables representing the most current status on demographic and
military characteristics. Injured service members who were pre-
scribed an IDEO at the CFI were identi
fied and corresponding
administrative and medical records were merged to form the
final
analytical dataset. The demographic descriptions were: sex (M/F),
age (<20, 20
–25, 26–30, and >30 years), race (White, Black,
Asian, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hawaiian/Other Paci
fic
Islander, and Other), and marital status (married, divorced/
single/separated). Military characteristics were: service (Army,
Marines, Air Force, and Navy/Coast Guard/NOAA) and length
of service (1
–5, 6–10, 11–20, and 20+ years).
Data elements such as initial referral diagnosis and date of
first visit were collected at CFI from February 2009 to Novem-
ber 2014 for all patients who were referred for an IDEO. Initial
referral diagnosis was the primary diagnosis that was the cause
of the IDEO referral to the CFI. Because of the absence of a
systematic method to record the referral diagnoses, this informa-
tion was collected in a disparate manner. To categorize these
data, subject-matter experts (a fellowship-trained orthopedic
trauma surgeon and a senior rehabilitative clinician) assigned
the primary referral diagnoses into seven injury types: (1) nerve
injury below knee; (2) tibia (excluding pilon fracture); (3) ankle
([pilon fracture, ankle post-traumatic osteoarthritis [PTOA], and
ankle fusion); (4) hindfoot (hindfoot PTOA, fusion); (5) midfoot/
forefoot; (6) soft tissue (compartment syndrome, Achilles tendon
injury, and quadriceps injuries); and (7) other. For data quality
assurance, a random 10% of referral diagnoses were compared
with the electronic military medical record system by a quali-
fied clinician.
An amputation of the lower extremity was identi
fied if one
of the diagnosis codes (see Appendix A) or procedure codes
(see Appendix B) was found after at least 22 days from the date
of initial evaluation. Procedure codes for
fitting a prosthesis
were taken into consideration only when found in consortium
with an ICD-9 (International Classi
fication of Diseases, 9th
TABLE I.
Demographic Characteristics and Amputation Status
of Service Members Prescribed IDEO (N = 624), 2009
–2014
Demographic
Characteristic
Total
a
N = 624,
n (%)
Amputation
a
N = 121,
n (%)
Sex
Male
573 (91.8)
120 (99.2)
Female
28 (4.5)
1 (<1)
Age (Years)
<20
5 (<1)
2 (1.6)
20
–25
121 (19.4)
31 (25.6)
26
–30
119 (19.1)
23 (19.0)
>30
313 (50.2)
52 (43.0)
Race
White
439 (70.3)
94 (77.7)
Black
64 (10.2)
10 (8.3)
Asian
32 (5.1)
7 (5.8)
American Indian/
Alaskan Native
4 (<1)
2 (1.6)
Hawaiian/Other
Paci
fic Islander
4 (<1)
2 (1.6)
Marital Status
Married
414 (66.3)
89 (73.5)
Divorced/Separated/
Single
178 (28.5)
32 (26.4)
Service
Army
423 (67.8)
80 (66.1)
Marines
97 (15.5)
32 (26.4)
Air Force
46 (7.4)
5 (4.1)
Navy/Coast Guard/
NOAA
37 (5.9)
4 (3.3)
Length of Service
(Years)
1
–5
95 (15.2)
21 (17.3)
6
–10
171 (27.4)
46 (38.0)
11
–20
169 (27.1)
34 (28.1)
>20
94 (15.1)
11 (9.1)
a
Subject numbers for each variable do not add to total sample due to miss-
ing data.
MILITARY MEDICINE, Vol. 181, November/December Supplement 2016
78
Descriptive Characteristics and Amputation Rates With Use of IDEO