Amputation Flashcards
What are the majority of lower extremity amputation caused by? (2)
- Vascular disease
- Neuropathy
T/F: Amputations are more common in females.
False, more common in males
T/F: Amputations are more common in older individuals.
True
What are the majority of upper extremity amputations caused by?
- Trauma
What are some of the other causes of amputation? (3)
- Cancer
- Infection
- Congenital limb defects
What is peripheral vascular disease (PVD)?
- Condition characterized by narrowing of blood vessels that causes reduced blood flow to the extremities.
What are the most common causes of PVD? (2)
- Diabetes
- Smoking
What are some of the common co-morbidities associated with PVD? (5)
- Diabetes!!
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol (high lipid profile)
- Neuropathy
T/F: Patients with diabetes are at 4-5x more risk for claudications.
True
What are intermittent claudications?
- Patient experiences very painful cramping sensation in the lower limbs.
- Caused by decreased blood flow to lower limbs during activity (i.e. muscles are not getting enough oxygen or nutrients to support activity).
What is dysvascular amputation?
- Amputation is required due to impaired circulation (PVD) to the affected limb
T/F: If a patient undergoes amputation of one limb due to PVD, they will be less likely to have their other limb amputated in the future.
False, more likely. 55% of amputees caused by PVD in one limb will eventually have bilateral amputation.
Most amputations caused by diabetes are preceded by ________ _____________.
Foot ulcerations
What is the 30 day and 5 year mortality rates following major leg amputations?
- 40%, 70%
What is traumatic amputation? (3)
- Amputation is required when limb is damaged by some traumatic event.
- MVA, work injuries, combat/violent injuries, electrocution, and severe burns
- More common in young men
What is replantation?
- Reconnection of separated limb/tissues.
- Alternative to limb amputation
How much time do doctors have to replant tissues before the tissue is no longer viable?
- within 12 hours
T/F: Traumatic amputations are often accompanied by psychological trauma?
True
What are the advantages of replantation over amputation? (2)
- Less expensive long-term
- More psychologically acceptable
What are the advantages of amputation over replantation? (2)
- Lower risk of being rehospitalized
- Often associated with better functional outcomes
What is malignant amputation? (3)
- Amputation required due to malignant cancer
- Can be caused by primary or metastatic cancer
- More common in lower limbs
T/F: The incidence of malignant amputation is increasing.
False, decreasing due to earlier diagnosis, better treatments, and improved salvage/reconstruction techniques.
What is pediatric amputation? (4)
- Amputation done on children
- 3:2 male to female ration
- Majority of cases are congenital
- Less than half of cases are acquired (mostly trauma)
What are the benefits to amputation in children? (3)
- Disarticulation at the joint decreases risk of growth plate damage
- Children have excellent circulation > increases wound healing
- Children have superior tissue tolerance > early post-op prosthetic fitting