Authors:
Anton Johannesson, PhD, CPO
Gert-Uno Larsson, MD
Nerrolyn Ramstrand, PhD, CPO
Henrik Lauge-Pedersen, PhD, MD
Philippe Wagner, MS
Isam Atroshi, PhD, MD
Affiliations:
From the Department of Clinical
Sciences (AJ, HL-P, IA), Lund
University, Lund, Sweden;
Department of Orthopedics (G-UL,
IA), Ha ¨ssleholm-Kristianstad,
Ha ¨ssleholm Hospital, Ha ¨ssleholm,
Sweden; Department of Rehabilitation
(NR), Jo ¨ nko ¨ ping University,
Jo ¨ nko ¨ ping, Sweden; and Swedish
National Competence Center for
Musculoskeletal Disorders,
Department of Orthopedics (PW),
Lund University Hospital, Lund,
Sweden.
Correspondence:
All correspondence and requests for
reprints should be addressed to
Anton Johannesson, PhD, CPO,
Centralsjukhuset, SE-291 85
Kristianstad, Sweden.
0894-9115/10/8904-0293/0
American Journal of Physical
Medicine & Rehabilitation
Copyright © 2010 by Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins
DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e3181cf1bee
Outcomes of a Standardized
Surgical and Rehabilitation Program
in Transtibial Amputation for
Peripheral Vascular Disease
A Prospective Cohort Study
ABSTRACT
Johannesson A, Larsson G-U, Ramstrand N, Lauge-Pedersen H, Wagner P,
Atroshi I: Outcomes of a standardized surgical and rehabilitation program in
transtibial amputation for peripheral vascular disease: A prospective cohort study.
Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2010;89:293–303.
Objective: To study the outcomes of a new surgical and rehabilitation
program for initial unilateral transtibial amputation in patients with periph-
eral vascular disease. The program consists of sagittal incision, rigid
dressing, compression therapy using silicone liner, and direct manufac-
turing prosthetic technique.
Design: A prospective cohort study with 1-yr follow-up.
Results: Of the 217 consecutive patients with peripheral vascular
disease who underwent transtibial amputation (mean age, 77 yrs; 51%
diabetic; 116 could walk before amputation), 119 (55%) were fitted with
a prosthesis at a median time of 41 (range, 12–147) days after ampu-
tation. Of the prosthetic recipients, 76 (64%) obtained good function with
the prosthesis within 6 mos. Within 1 yr, reamputation was performed on
8.2%, and contralateral amputation was performed on 5.5%. The 90-day
mortality was 24% (53 patients). The total 1-yr mortality was 40% (86
patients): 17% among patients who received a prosthesis and 67%
among those who did not receive a prosthesis or had undergone ream-
putation.
Conclusions: Following this standardized surgical and rehabilitation
program, prosthetic fitting was achieved in more than half of transtibial
amputees, almost two-thirds of prosthetic recipients obtained good func-
tion, and the reamputation rate was low. Comparison with outcomes of
alternative strategies is needed.
Key Words: Lower Limb, Amputation, Prosthetic, Mortality
www.ajpmr.com Rehabilitation in Transtibial Amputation 293
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Amputee