A note on the numbers
The figures below come from an archived page of Leto Solutions that cited health-authority and journal sources around 2015. They are reported as the page presented them, have not been rechecked, and are likely out of date.
How many people
The page estimated about 2.8 million amputees in the US, of whom roughly 1.3 million had amputations below or above the knee. It expected the number to rise to nearly 1.6 million within five years.
Why amputations happen
According to the archive, the large majority of amputations are linked to vascular disease, often a complication of diabetes, while about one in six results from trauma such as car crashes or military injury. Because diabetes was on the rise, the page expected the need for limb amputation to grow as well. It added that amputation among children is rare and that over four in ten amputees are older than 65.
What matters to users
Published research cited in the archive found that people with lower-limb amputations care most about four things:
- Fit of the prosthesis
- Ability to walk
- Avoiding blisters on the residual limb
- Avoiding rashes and irritation
The page noted that heat and sweat lie behind many of the last two issues, which the company’s cooling concept set out to address. Read more in the problem explained.