Bone Shortening After Amputation: A Report of Two Cases

We report two cases of shortening of the bone at the stump after amputation. Case 1 was a 57-year-old male with a traumatic transhumeral amputation. The remaining humerus had shortened by 3.5 cm in eight months. Case 2 was a 27-year-old male with a traumatic transtibial amputation. The remaining tibia had shortened by 1.4 cm in 72 months. These two cases had the same cause of amputation, but the amputation site, age, and time course differed. Few studies have examined the bone length of stumps after amputation. The bone length of stumps is generally assumed to not change after amputation. However, the residual bone at the stump can shorten after amputation.