The Decision to Salvage or Amputate a Severely Injured Limb

ABSTRACT: The decision to salvage or amputate a severely injured limb is one of the most  difficult an orthopaedic surgeon may face. The inclination to undertake heroic measures to  save the limb should be tempered by the realization that doing so may lead to repeated  hospitalizations, extensive complications, and a poor functional outcome. Several factors must  be considered, including objective elements related to the patient’s injury and physical  condition and subjective considerations related to the patient’s psychologic, social, and  economic status. We present a framework, in the context of a case study, which may be used in  deciding which patients can benefit from early amputation and review five predictive indices for limb salvage.