Amputation accidents

Losing a limb is one of the most traumatic physical injuries that a person can experience. In addition to being a devastating physical injury, amputation injuries can also have a significant impact on a person’s mental health. Depending on the nature of the injury and the body part that was amputated, an injured victim may require multiple surgeries and months of physical rehabilitation, including getting fitted for and learning how to use a prosthetic, and occupational therapy.

Traumatic amputation

In a partial amputation, some soft-tissue connection remains. Depending on how severe the injury is, the partially severed extremity may or may not be able to be reattached. Complications often occur when a body part is amputated. The most important of these are bleeding, shock, and infection.

Long-term outcome for an amputee depends on early emergency and critical care management. A well-fitting and functional prosthesis and retraining can speed rehabilitation.

Amputation injuries

Traumatic amputation

This type of amputation occurs when an accident or unanticipated incident causes a person to lose a limb. In some cases, if the medical team is able to work quickly, the limb may be reattached. If not, it is likely that the injured party will need to undergo surgery to treat the injury.

Traumatic amputations are often caused by:
– Car accidents
– Accidents involving explosions
– Machinery accidents
– Objects falling from heights
– Getting trapped in a building or car

Causes of amputation injuries

Car accidents are by far the most common cause of traumatic amputations, with industrial and agricultural accidents ranking a close second and third. Workplace accidents are often caused by lack of personal protective equipment, poor training, falls from heights, inadequate lighting, and not following the proper safety protocols when working with dangerous machinery.

The five most common causes for amputations due to accidents are:

Transportation accidents (car, motorcycle, train, bike), workplace accidents, farming accidents, fire/explosion accidents, and electrocution accidents.
Approximately 25% of amputations are caused by a traumatic injury.
For all amputations, the leading causes are vascular diseases, trauma, and cancer.
Over 50% of all amputations from injuries affect the upper body.
Most amputations from traumatic injuries occur to people between the ages of 20 and 40.
Almost 80% of all amputations caused by accidents are performed on men.

Nearly 9 out of 10 amputations of the patient’s lower limb were necessary because of an opened or infected foot ulcer. Approximately 30% of all patients who lost a limb through amputation experience high anxiety and ongoing depression.

Traumatic amputations, which involve the arms, legs, hands, fingers, feet, toes, and ears, are most commonly caused by the following:

Traffic accidents, including cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, trains, or motorcycles
Passenger accidents
Construction accidents
Factory or warehouse accidents
Agricultural accidents, including lawn mower accidents
Building and car door accidents
Electrocution accidents

Another amputation injuries

Surgical amputations

If the blood supply to an injured limb is lost, the cells in the tissue within the limb will die. This condition is called necrosis. Once this happens, the tissue cannot be repaired and reconstruction is generally no longer an option. If the person’s injury does not heal and necrosis has set in, amputation may be the only option.

Serious injuries affecting the legs, feet, and toes may result in a lower-limb amputation, whereas upper-limb amputations affect the fingers, hands, and arms. Examples of areas of amputation:

Lower-limb amputations

Partial foot amputation: This involves the removal of one or more toes. It generally affects a person’s ability to walk and balance.
Ankle disarticulation: This is the removal of the foot at the ankle.
Below-the-knee amputation: Also known as a transtibial amputation, this is an amputation of the leg below the knee; however, the individual will be able to retain knee function.
Transfemoral amputation: This is the removal of the leg above the knee.
Hip disarticulation: This is the removal of the leg up to the hip joint.
Hemipelvectomy: This involves the removal of the entire leg, as well as part of the pelvis.

Upper-limb amputations

Partial hand amputation: This involves the removal of fingertips, parts of the fingers, or the thumb, which means that the person will be unable to grasp objects.
Metacarpal amputation: This is the removal of the entire hand up to the wrist.
Wrist disarticulation: This involves the removal of the entire hand and wrist.
Transradial amputation: This is the removal of the arm below the elbow joint.
Elbow disarticulation: This is the removal of the forearm at the elbow.
Above-the-elbow amputation: This is the removal of an arm above the elbow.
Shoulder disarticulation: This involves the removal of the entire arm, including the shoulder blade and the collar bone.