Johns Hopkins Diabetes Guide
Amputations
DEFINITION
- Surgical removal of all or part of an extremity - leg, foot, toe, arm or finger, or other outgrowth of the body.
- Minor lower extremity amputation (LEA): toe(s), ray(s), transmetatarsal and mid-foot amputation.
- Major lower extremity amputation (LEA): below-knee-transtibial amputation (BKA) of the lower leg distal to the tibial tuberosity; above-knee-amputation (AKA) of the leg through the femur (supracondylar, midthigh or high thigh).
- Guillotine amputation: an open amputation for uncontrolled pedal sepsis, a part of a staged procedure. Utilizes a circular incision down bone, allowing for quick removal of septic focus and direct examination of bone and muscle compartments for extension of infection.
- Auto-amputation: Dry gangrene allowed to demarcate and proceed to amputation without surgical intervention.
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Last updated: July 4, 2020
Citation
, Laura Shin, et al. "Amputations." Johns Hopkins Diabetes Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2020. Johns Hopkins Guides, www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Diabetes_Guide/547006/all/Amputations.
L, D, Sanders LJ. Amputations. Johns Hopkins Diabetes Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2020. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Diabetes_Guide/547006/all/Amputations. Accessed November 4, 2025.
, L., , D., & Sanders, L. J. (2020). Amputations. In Johns Hopkins Diabetes Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Diabetes_Guide/547006/all/Amputations
L, D, Sanders LJ. Amputations [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins Diabetes Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2020. [cited 2025 November 04]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Diabetes_Guide/547006/all/Amputations.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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