Ukrainian war injuries grow more complex as Latvia expands rehabilitation help

Severe arm and leg injuries affect as many as 75 percent of Ukrainian defenders wounded in Russia’s war against Ukraine, traumatologist and orthopaedist Olafs Libermanis told LSM. He regularly travels to Ukraine to operate on injured soldiers.

Patients treated by Libermanis, as well as other wounded soldiers, continue their treatment in Latvia. Some relearn to walk at the Vaivari National Rehabilitation Centre, while others receive prostheses there.

Prostheses for Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs were mostly produced in Latvia during the first years of the war. Ukraine can now provide prostheses for many of those injured, so soldiers often arrive in Latvia with prostheses already made. At Vaivari, they learn how to use them and walk with them.

In some cases, specialists in Latvia identify that a prosthesis needs adjustment or better fitting. Vaivari makes those changes when the prosthesis manufacturer agrees.

Dina Grinberga, a technical orthopaedist at Vaivari, said fitting a prosthesis requires testing and adjustment. Patients must assess whether it applies pressure correctly and whether anything causes discomfort, she said, describing the prosthesis as a dynamic technical aid that participates in movement.

The more of a limb a patient has lost, the more difficult it is to fit a prosthesis. Walking with a prosthesis also requires considerable energy, patience and training.

LSM and the charity Ziedot.lv are inviting donations from August 17 to September 13 to provide comprehensive rehabilitation for Ukrainian soldiers. Donations can be made by calling 90204113, at a cost of 5 euros including value added tax, or online through Ziedot.lv.