Influence of the Primary and Secondary Lower Leg War Amputations on the Length of Hospitalization and Rehabilitation

Objective: To analyze the influence of war amputations on the rehabilitation length we have tried to find a correlation between different stages of the rehabilitation process and the kind of amputation that has been performed.

Methods: Therefore we have analyzed the data of 36 patients with knee amputation due to war injuries. The average age was 35.42 years. Most patients were wounded by explosive land mines (94.4%), others by projectiles. In 2.8% of cases there was a bilateral amputation.

Results: The limb was amputated on the day when the injury (primary amputation) occurred in 30 patients (83.3%). Secondary amputation after an attempt to save a severely injured limb was performed in 6 patients (16.7%), on average 4.61 ± 11.67 days after injury. Reamputation was necessary in 6 cases (16.7%). The average length of time between rehabilitation to the fitting of prosthetics, was for primary amputations 36.25 ± 14.97 days, in secondary 32 ± 17.8 days, and in reamputations 68.66 ± 33.52 days.

Conclusion: There is no statistically significant correlation between the duration of rehabilitation to prosthetics fitting and time between injury and amputation (r = -0.102). Attempt to save the limb in severe lower leg war injuries and secondary amputation thereafter did not significantly affect the later course of rehabilitation and prosthetic fitting.