A Clinical Study of The Traumatic Amputation By Railroad Accident

Lee, Myung Chul; Song, Haeng Jong; Lee, Hyang Ae

Abstract

A clinical study of traumatic amputation by railroad accidents was made an 124 patients with 154 amputee, who had been treated at Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Seoul Hospital, during the 4 years period from January 1976 to December 1979. The results of this study are as follows: 1. The ratio of male to female was 9 to 1. The 3rd decade of age group showed the hightest number of accident causalties, as much as 37.1%. 2. Causalties showes a maximum during the sprlng (37.1%) and a minimum during winter. 3. The most common injured sites of the amputee were B-K in 44 cases among 154 cases of the amputee. 4. Considering the number of the multiple amputee in 26 casee among 124 cases, frequently they developed in 2 sites with 22 cases, 3 sites with 4 cases. 5. The frequent fracture sites with combined amputation were 18 cases of the pelvic bone, 12 cases of femur in amputation of the lower extremity. 6. Our methods of treatment were debridement, debridement and primary skin closure, debridement with open amputation, circular amputation, closed amputation with skin graft, and closed amputation. 7. The major complications were phantom limb in 108 cases (70.1%), infection in 44 cases (28.6%). 8. The most frequent infectious agent was pseudomonas (16 cases).