Volume 15 · Issue 1 · May/June 2005 –
by Douglas G. Smith, MD –
In discussing amputations of the lower limb, we’ve noted that each level has its own specific characteristics and challenges. The higher we move up the leg, the more joints are affected. A transtibial amputation involves the loss of the foot and one major joint, the ankle, while the transfemoral amputation involves the loss of two major joints, the knee and the ankle. Because transfemoral amputees are learning to cope with the loss of two major weight-bearing joints while transtibial amputees are learning to cope with the loss of only one, transfemoral amputees face more challenges learning to use a prosthesis and learning to walk again.

Volume 15 · Issue 1 · March/April 2005 –
by Douglas G. Smith, MD –
Age is a major factor in recovery and rehabilitation following any amputation, but its significance increases with each higher amputation level. For lower-limb amputees, the age factor can be most dramatic when the amputation is at the hip or pelvis. Generally, the younger people are when they have one of these high-level amputations, the more quickly and naturally they adjust and adapt. Those born with a limb difference often perform remarkably well with the only body they’ve ever known. The congenital limb difference is, in a sense, normal for them. Likewise, very young children adapt after the loss and incorporate the change into their patterns of learning, balance and endurance. However, these high amputation levels are a challenge for teens, a struggle for young adults, and a big battle for older adults.