ABSTRACT
In the developing world, trauma is the leading cause of amputation in 80% of cases, often due to inadequately treated fractures (Esquenazi, 2004). In the US, 57,000 new amputations are seen per year (Edmond and James, 1990; Esquenazi, 2004). Of these, 68% are acquired from disease, mainly lower limb vascular complications of diabetes, whereas 30% are acquired from trauma. Table 12.1 lists the incidence of amputations by anatomical level, and Table 12.2 provides the Classification of different amputations and the prostheses typical for each level (Dillingham et al., 2002).
