An accurate method is needed to quantitate the healing potentials of the possible sites of amputation in dysvascular limbs. We evaluated the segmental transcutaneous measurements of PO2 in 37 patients who required below-the-knee amputation because of peripheral vascular insufficiency. The 15 patients with below-the-knee transcutaneous PO2 values of 40 millimeters of mercury or more had no delay in healing of the below-the-knee amputation. 17 of 19 patients with values of more than zero but less than 40 millimeters of mercury had healing at the below-the-knee level, in 2 after local revision. The 3 patients who had below-the-knee values of zero required re-amputation above the knee.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.
An accurate method is needed to quantitate the healing potentials of the possible sites of amputation in dysvascular limbs. We evaluated the segmental transcutaneous measurements of PO2 in 37 patients who required below-the-knee amputation because of peripheral vascular insufficiency. The 15 patients with below-the-knee transcutaneous PO2 values of 40 millimeters of mercury or more had no delay in healing of the below-the-knee amputation. 17 of 19 patients with values of more than zero but less than 40 millimeters of mercury had healing at the below-the-knee level, in 2 after local revision. The 3 patients who had below-the-knee values of zero required re-amputation above the knee.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.