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Upper Extremity Amputation

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Critical Limb Ischemia

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Abstract

Although significantly less common than vascular insufficiency in the lower extremities, heart, or brain, processes leading to inadequate vascular flow in the upper extremity carry significant morbidity. Our hands are our highly technical and extremely skilled terminal devices and arguably what make us uniquely human. Therefore when faced with situations of hand loss, every attempt should be made to preserve as much length and function as possible. Amputation is a procedure of last resort and is indicated only after limb salvage options have failed. The functional consequence of any particular amputation is the primary. Advances in reconstructive surgery and prosthetic devices hold hope and promise improved function for the upper limb amputee.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Surgery, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Nikola Babovic MD

  2. Orthopedic and Plastic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Brian T. Carlsen MD

Authors
  1. Nikola Babovic MD
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  2. Brian T. Carlsen MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA

    Robert S. Dieter

  2. Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA

    Raymond A. Dieter, Jr

  3. The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

    Raymond A. Dieter, III

  4. West Virginia University, Charleston, West Virginia, USA

    Aravinda Nanjundappa

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Babovic, N., Carlsen, B.T. (2017). Upper Extremity Amputation. In: Dieter, R., Dieter, Jr, R., Dieter, III, R., Nanjundappa, A. (eds) Critical Limb Ischemia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31991-9_51

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31991-9_51

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31989-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31991-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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