Through-Knee Amputations

The operative technique of through-knee amputations is described. In a retrospective series of 71 patients re-amputation at the above-knee level was performed in 18 per cent of the cases. Prosthetic gait was achieved in 97 per cent of patients discharged to their own home with preserved level of amputation.

Through-knee amputation is preferable to amputation above the knee and should even be considered as an alternative to below-knee amputation in patients with borderline skin perfusion blood pressure and in feeble patients with poor balance.