Phantom limb syndrome : a review

Abstract

Phantom limb syndrome is a condition whereby patients experience painful or nonpainful, kinaesthetic sensory sensations in a non-existing limb. French surgeon Ambroise Pare was the first to observe this phenomenon in 1551, after critically wounded soldiers had to undergo subsequent limb amputation. An approximate 98% and up to 80% of amputees experience phantom limb sensations (PLS) and phantom limb pain (PLP) respectively. This literature review will primarily focus on the pathophysiology of phantom limb syndrome, its clinical manifestation and PLP management. Despite its prevalence, phantom limb syndrome is still regarded as a poorly understood phenomenon making it a chronic syndrome particularly difficult to treat.