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Related Experiment Videos

Use of Knives and Multitools to Perform a Cadaveric Limb Amputation.

Russell A Baker, Kevin Worth, Nima Pourrajabi

    Journal of Special Operations Medicine : a Peer Reviewed Journal for SOF Medical Professionals
    |March 12, 2022
    PubMed
    Summary

    In emergencies, a multitool can perform rapid field amputations on lower extremities in under two minutes when standard equipment fails. This study evaluated hand tools for life-saving amputations.

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    Area of Science:

    • Emergency Medicine
    • Surgical Techniques
    • Trauma Care

    Background:

    • Field amputations are critical life-saving procedures when standard surgical equipment is unavailable.
    • Austere environments necessitate evaluating alternative tools for emergent limb amputations.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To assess the efficacy of common hand tools in performing rapid (<2 minutes) cadaveric amputations.
    • To compare the performance of a multitool, rescue tool, hunting knife, and fixed-blade knife for field amputations.

    Main Methods:

    • Timed guillotine amputations of extremities were performed on three cadavers.
    • Four hand tools were utilized: multitool, rescue tool, hunting knife, and fixed-blade knife.
    • Primary outcome measured was successful amputation within the 2-minute timeframe.

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    Main Results:

    • The multitool demonstrated the highest success rate (78%), followed by the hunting knife (67%), rescue tool (56%), and fixed-blade knife (44%).
    • Distal tibia/fibula and radius/ulna amputations were successful with all tools, while the femur remained unamputated.
    • The multitool received the best subjective ranking from operators (1.4).

    Conclusions:

    • The multitool is a viable and effective instrument for emergent distal extremity field amputations.
    • In situations lacking standard equipment, hand tools can be utilized for life-saving amputations.
    • Further research may explore tool optimization for more complex amputations.