Article

Although there is strong evidence to show that the risk of dying after
transtibial amputation is higher than partial foot amputation, we are concerned
by the implication that amputation level influences mortality, and that such
interpretations of the evidence may be used to inform decisions about the choice
of amputation level. We argue that the choice of partial foot or transtibial
amputation does not influence the risk of mortality. The highest mortality rates
are observed in studies with older people with more advanced systemic disease and
multiple comorbidities. Studies that control for the confounding influence of
these factors have shown no differences in mortality rates by amputation level.
These insights have important implications in terms of how we help inform
difficult decisions about amputation at either the partial foot or transtibial
level, given a more thoughtful interpretation of the published mortality rates.
CI - Copyright (c) 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS