A new online support hub is aiming to help lower-limb amputees feel better prepared and more confident when making decisions about their first prosthetic limb.
My Prosthetic Priorities provides information and a decision-making tool designed to help people identify what matters most to them before attending their first prosthetic appointment. The launch follows new research suggesting that many amputees feel unprepared, unheard and insufficiently involved in decisions about their prosthetic care.
For someone experiencing limb loss, choosing a first prosthetic limb can be a significant moment. Yet the research suggests many people enter the process without knowing what to expect or how much input they can have in decisions about their prosthesis.
How can amputees prepare for their first prosthetic appointment?
The free My Prosthetic Priorities hub is designed to help address some of those difficulties before a person sits down with their prosthetist.
Its central resource, the Decision-Making Aid for Lower Limb Prosthetics, encourages people to consider their priorities, lifestyle and goals, explore the types of decisions they may encounter and think about the questions they want to ask about their prosthetic limb. The guide is intended to be used at the person’s own pace and revisited throughout their prosthetic journey.
The decision-making aid covers areas including communication preferences, personal values, prosthetic options and changing needs over time. It asks users to consider what matters to them, from comfort, health, work and household tasks to exercise, sports, travel, relationships and appearance. It also introduces different parts of a prosthesis, including the liner, socket, suspension, foot, knee and accessories, and encourages people to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of available options with their prosthetist.
It also encourages people to think practically about how different prosthetic options might fit into their lives. Questions include whether an option is comfortable, heavy, durable or easy to clean, whether it affects balance or endurance, whether it can be used on different surfaces and environments, and whether someone may need help to use it. The guide suggests that people can learn about options through pictures, videos, demonstrations, conversations with other amputees and, where available, product trials.
The guide also makes clear that choosing a prosthetic limb is not necessarily a one-time decision. A person’s prosthesis may need to change as their body, health, circumstances, activities and goals change, with adjustments or new components potentially needed during the first few years and throughout their lifetime.
The hub also provides information about post-amputation care, prosthetic options and other assistive aids, alongside resources from organisations working in the amputee community.
This approach could be particularly useful for people attending their first prosthetic appointment during what may already be an overwhelming period of physical and emotional adjustment.
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Do amputees get enough say in choosing their first prosthetic limb?
The need for resources that help people prepare is highlighted by new survey findings involving 572 lower-limb amputees in the UK and US.
Among the 259 UK respondents, 62% said they went into their first prosthetic appointment unsure what to expect, while 28% described themselves as unprepared.
The majority also felt they had not been given enough opportunity to influence the decision about their prosthesis.
72% said they had little or no input into choosing their first prosthesis, while 84% said they would have liked more involvement.
More than half of respondents, 55%, said they did not experience any of the shared decision-making steps that patients might reasonably expect during such an important appointment. These included being asked how involved they wanted to be or having a discussion about what mattered most to them.
The findings suggest that the issue may not simply be that people do not want to participate in decisions. Many may not have been given the information, preparation or confidence needed to do so.
Indeed, 76% said being encouraged to think about what mattered most to them before their first appointment could have helped them choose the right prosthesis.
What happens when a prosthetic limb does not meet someone’s needs?
The survey also highlights what can happen when a prosthetic limb does not meet someone’s needs.
87% of UK respondents experienced challenges after taking their first prosthesis home. Among those who experienced difficulties, 65% said their prosthesis was painful to wear and 44% said it limited their mobility.
These problems had consequences beyond physical discomfort.
Almost three-quarters (74%, said the challenges left them frustrated, while 50% said they felt low or depressed. A further 21% said the experience reduced their motivation during rehabilitation.
Looking back on the experience, 30% said their first prosthesis had been a poor choice for them.
These figures demonstrate why the conversation around prosthetic care needs to extend beyond simply providing someone with a limb. A prosthesis needs to work within an individual’s life, priorities and circumstances – and those needs may not be the same from one person to another.
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“It’s hard to even know what is normal”
Lower-limb amputee Sam Gostelow, 40, described his own experience of attending his first prosthetic appointment:
“When I attended my first appointment, I was so focused on getting back to my active life, but entering a room with at least seven people asking questions was incredibly intense.
“Even though I’d researched my prosthetic foot, I quickly realised how much I didn’t understand about the realities of living with a prosthesis, from how it would actually fit and feel day-to-day, to how my needs would change over time.
“In those early stages of rehabilitation, it’s so difficult to take all the information in, and it’s hard to even know what is normal or what you should be asking. The more information you have before that first appointment, the better chance you have of asking the right questions and understanding what’s right for you.”
His experience highlights a wider problem: how can someone make an informed choice when they are still learning what it means to live with limb loss?
Having information beforehand does not guarantee that every prosthetic decision will result in the right outcome. However, being able to identify priorities, understand terminology and prepare questions may make it easier for someone to communicate their needs and participate in discussions about their prosthetic care.
Why does shared decision-making matter in prosthetic care?
The findings are particularly relevant given that approximately 7,500 lower-limb amputations take place in the UK each year.
They also add to previous research highlighting concerns around patient involvement, personalisation and expectations in prosthetic care.
For many amputees, the first prosthetic appointment is not simply another healthcare consultation. It can influence mobility, independence, rehabilitation and everyday activities for years afterwards.
That makes meaningful involvement in prosthetic decision-making important.
The My Prosthetic Priorities hub does not remove the responsibility from healthcare professionals to provide appropriate information and involve patients in decisions. Instead, it offers people a way to prepare for those conversations and consider their own priorities before they take place.
Marking Prosthetics and Orthotics Day
We are reporting on the launch on 4th September, which marks Prosthetics and Orthotics Day in 2026, making the timing particularly relevant to a wider conversation about how people experience prosthetic services.
The survey findings raise an important question for the sector: if most people want greater involvement in choosing their first prosthesis, are they being given enough opportunity and support to participate?
Better prosthetic care is not only about the technology being offered. It is also about whether people understand their options, feel able to ask questions and believe their individual needs are being heard.
For new amputees facing their first prosthetic appointment, having the opportunity to think about those priorities beforehand could be an important first step towards having a greater say in what happens next.
My Prosthetic Priorities is available online as a free resource for lower-limb amputees preparing for their prosthetic journey.