Volume 15 · Issue 1 · January/February 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 · January/February 2005 –
by Christina Skoski, MD –
One of the most common complaints of new patients who have had an amputation through any part of the pelvis (known as hemipelvectomy or transpelvic amputations) is discomfort and difficulty in sitting upright. This is because they’ve lost the “sitting bone,” or ischium, which provides the bony structure or support on the amputated side. Constantly leaning to one side because of this missing support can cause low-back pain and may contribute to the development of functional scoliosis (an abnormally curved back) over time.