Objective To explore the diversity of symptoms and care needs in the early rehabilitation period of patients with severe upper limb trauma who have undergone limb salvage, and to provide a basis for the development of continuous intervention mea-sures.Methods A parallel mixed-methods research design was used to comprehensively analyze patients′ symptoms and needs from complementary perspectives.A convenience sampling method was adopted to survey 216 patients with severe upper limb trauma who had undergone limb salvage using the Chinese version of Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29-item Profile version 2.1(PROMIS-29v2.1).Simultaneously, 14 patients with severe upper limb trauma who had undergone limb salvage were selected for semi-structured interviews using purposive sampling.Results Among the 216 patients with severe limb trauma, the top three most severe symptoms reported were physical function, anxiety symptoms, and pain impact.The qualitative study identified four themes:the dynamic evolution and stage characteristics of physiological symptoms, the persistent psychological burden and lack of support, restricted social function and identity crisis, and rehabilitation adherence barriers and differences in resource accessibility.These themes complemented the quantitative results from multiple dimensions.Conclusion Patients with severe upper limb trauma exhibit diverse symptoms and strong management needs in the early postoperative rehabilitation period.It is suggested that symptom management plans and the information platforms can be developed to provide support for patients.