Medical problems of amputees

The initial trauma of a major amputation and the medical disorders secondary to it are being studied at the Biomechanics Laboratory. Problems that arise from amputation and from the replacement of the limb by a prosthetic device are complex but interrelated, and approaches to study on basic, applied and clinical levels must be integrated. Three studies carried on at the Biomechanics Laboratory are described in this paper. In the field of amputation operations, it is believed that certain osteoplastic and myoplastic techniques, along with protection for nerve stumps and measures to provide optimum circulatory conditions, may restore biological and mechanical function to a greater degree than is possible with present procedures. From studies of the expenditure of energy during locomotion with and without assistive devices and during therapeutic exercise, it was found that crutch-walking is metabolically much more costly in energy for the amputee than walking with the suction-socket prosthesis; through these studies, it will be possible to define criteria for maximum work loads for disabled persons. In dermatological studies, although there are still unsolved problems, successful methods of treatment have been developed for certain bacterial and fungus infections, contact dermatitides and disorders resulting from edema.