Aims. The aim of this study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of
treatment with an osseointegrated percutaneous (OI-) prosthesis
and a socket-suspended (S-) prosthesis for patients with a transfemoral
amputation. Patients and Methods. A Markov model was developed to estimate the medical costs and
changes in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) attributable to treatment
of unilateral transfemoral amputation over a projected period of
20 years from a healthcare perspective. Data were collected alongside
a prospective clinical study of 51 patients followed for two years. Results. OI-prostheses had an incremental cost per QALY gained of €83 374
compared with S-prostheses. The clinical improvement seen with OI-prostheses
was reflected in QALYs gained. Results were most sensitive to the
utility value for both treatment arms. The impact of an annual decline
in utility values of 1%, 2%, and 3%, for patients with S-prostheses
resulted in a cost per QALY gained of €37 020, €24 662, and €18 952,
respectively, over 20 years. Conclusion. From a healthcare perspective, treatment with an OI-prosthesis
results in improved quality of life at a relatively high cost compared
with that for S-prosthesis. When patients treated with S-prostheses
had a decline in quality of life over time, the cost per QALY gained
by OI-prosthesis treatment was considerably reduced. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:527–34