A case of a psychogenic "jumpy stump"

Abstract

A 42-year-old man was assessed for management of pain and painful involuntary movements of his left stump, which developed after a below-knee amputation in 1995. The patient had previously undergone nine surgical procedures to correct bone exostosis of the left foot, in the hope of achieving pain relief. One and a half years after the below-knee amputation, he developed severe stump pain. A few years later, intermittent episodes of violent jerking movements of the left stump began, which progressed to 18–20 spells a day. These could occur at rest or with voluntary movement, and could be triggered and improved …