Amputations due to landmine and unexploded ordinances in post-war Iran

In view of lack of comprehensive data on landmine casualties that lead to amputation in Iran, we conducted this study to determine the pattern and demographic features of landmine explosions that result in amputation of the victims.

To define the pattern of landmine- and unexploded ordinances-induced amputations and to understand the most common types of underlying activities at the time of the blast, a retrospective study was conducted among the victims in 5 western provinces of Iran, West Azerbaijan, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Ilam, and Khuzestan between 1988 and 2003.

Of a total of 3713 victims, 1499 had undergone amputations. The mean age of the victims at the time of accident was 23 years; 92% of the victims were male, 48.4% of them were of very poor education and all were civilians. Below knee amputation was the commonest type of amputation.

The occurrence of lower limb amputations from landmine injuries in Iran is a significant burden on the healthcare system; rendering allocation of more resources to provide preventative and rehabilitation measures is therefore a must.