Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Screening for Proximal Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis
Published on: February 10, 2023
Traumatic lower extremity amputation as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism
Dias Argandykov1, Emanuele Lagazzi2, Jefferson A Proaño-Zamudio3
1Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery & Surgical Critical Care, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/argandykov.
Background:
This study aimed to evaluate whether lower extremity (LE) amputation among civilian casualties is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism.
Methods:
All patients with severe LE injuries (AIS ≥3) derived from the ACS-TQIP (2013-2020) were divided into those who underwent trauma-associated amputation and those with limb salvage. Propensity score matching was used to mitigate selection bias and confounding and compare the rates of pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Results:
A total of 145,667 patients with severe LE injuries were included, with 3443 patients requiring LE amputation. After successful matching, patients sustaining LE amputation still experienced significantly higher rates of PE (4.2% vs. 2.5%, p < 0.001) and DVT (6.5% vs. 3.4%, p < 0.001). A sensitivity analysis examining patients with isolated major LE trauma similarly showed a higher rate of thromboembolic complications, including higher incidences of PE (3.2% vs. 2.0%, p = 0.015) and DVT (4.7% vs. 2.6%, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
In this nationwide analysis, traumatic lower extremity amputation is associated with a significantly higher risk of VTE events, including PE and DVT.
Related Concept Videos
Veins of Lower Limbs
Formed by the union of the medial and lateral plantar veins, the posterior tibial vein, rising through the calf muscle, assimilates the fibular vein. The anterior tibial vein, a superior extension of the foot's dorsalis pedis vein, merges with the posterior tibial vein at the...
Venous Return
What is Venous Return?
Venous return refers to the rate at which blood flows back to the heart from the body's peripheral veins. It's an integral part of the circulatory system...
Assessment of the Cardiovascular System III: Palpation
Jugular Venous Pressure (JVP) Measurement
Position the patient at a thirty- to forty-five-degree angle or in a semi-fowler's position. Look for the highest point of pulsation in the internal jugular vein and measure the vertical distance to the angle of Loius or sternal angle. A normal JVP is 3-4 cm above...
Disorders of Hemostasis
Thromboembolic Disorders
Two factors primarily cause thromboembolic conditions.
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia
One of the advantages of...

