OBJECTIVE To estimate rates of lower extremity amputations (LEAs) in persons with peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, trauma, neoplasm, osteomyelitis, or emphysematous gangrene. METHODS Regional amputee registries were used to estimate the rate of lower extremity amputations with the capture-recapture (CR) technique. Data were extracted from three amputee registries in Rio de Jane...

It has been estimated that more than 1.6 million individuals in the United States have undergone at least one amputation. The literature abounds with research of the classifications of such injuries, their etiologies, epidemiologies, treatment regimens, average age of onset (average age of amputation), and much more. The subpopulation that is often overlooked in these evaluations, however, is c...

Bilateral upper limb amputations result in severe disability. High voltage electrical injury is a rare cause of such an outcome and injuries often occur as occupational hazards. We present three case reports of accidental high voltage injuries that occurred in a non-occupational setting. Victims were all initially managed at other centres before referral to our hospital and all subsequently had...

Lower limb amputations were performed on over 105,000 individuals in United States short-stay hospitals between 1989 and 1992. Additional amputations were performed in VA, military, Indian Health, and charitable orthopaedic hospitals. Half of all lower extremity amputations occurred in individuals with diabetes. When the causal chain leading to diabetic amputations was examined in 80 consecutiv...

All partial amputations of the foot for diabetic gangrene were reviewed from April 1981 to March 1986. There were 68 patients with a mean age of 69 years. 40 (59%) were male, 28 (41 %) were female; 37 (54%) were insulindependent, and 31 (46%) were non-insulin-dependent. There were 103 primary operations which included 6 debridements, 35 raquet, 52 ray, 4 transmetatarsal, and 6 heel amputations....

AIM In two German regions with 11.1 million inhabitants, 6 networks for specialized treatment of DFS were implemented until 2008. Data provided for accounting purposes was analysed in order to determine changes in the rate of diabetics requiring amputations in the years before and after the implementation. METHOD Data covering 2.9 million people insured by the largest insurance company betwee...

OBJECTIVES To study the relationship between hospitalisation for diabetic foot complications, non-traumatic major lower limb amputations, and seasonal variation in humidity and temperature. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS Diabetic patients hospitalised for lower limbs infection during the inclusive period 1995 to 2004. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Mon...

BACKGROUND A diabetic foot or lower extremity amputation may be exacerbated by or related to the smoking habits and history of the patient. PATIENTS AND METHODS Of the 112 diabetic patients in this retrospective study, 46 were non-smokers and 66 were smokers. The smokers were further categorized into patients who: 1) did not cease smoking; 2) ceased in the immediate post-operative period but ...

A group of 158 service members who sustained major limb amputations during the global war on terrorism were surveyed on their satisfaction with the quality of care received from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) Amputee Clinic from the time of their injury to their inpatient discharge. Of these participants, 96% were male, 77% were Caucasian, 89% were enlisted personnel, and 68% had s...

Since the onset of combat activity in Iraq and Afghanistan, there have been over 1100 major limb amputations among United States service members. With a sustained military presence in the Middle East, continued severe lower extremity trauma is inevitable. For this reason, combat surgeons must understand the various amputation levels as well as the anatomic and technical details that enable an o...