Amputation Surgery Education Center

Amputation surgery, while performed quite frequently throughout the world, is highly variable in both content and intensity. Patient outcomes are strongly dependent upon the expertise and experience of the surgeon. Many amputations, however, are performed by surgeons with limited exposure and skill in this specialty. Attention to small details, often overlooked, can make great strides toward a successful rehabilitation and prosthetic fitting. Unfortunately, this information is uncommon and is spread across multiple resources, if available at all.

Prosthetics Research Study is leading an effort to create a comprehensive, centralized educational program for surgeons in the area of amputation surgery. This project, developed in collaboration with Otto Bock (Minneapolis, MN) and the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA), will provide free material via the world-wide-web. The goal is to improve patient outcomes by providing an easily-accessible center for surgeons to locate information, review recent advancements, and re-familiarize themselves with the critical aspects of amputation surgery. Toward this end, we are collecting multimedia materials to support the effort and provide a comprehensive array of educational tools. These will include photos, videos, documents, recent literature, publications, and a variety of other helpful materials. The materials will be organized into “teaching modules” for each major level of amputation.

The Amputation Surgery Education Center
launched in Q1 of 2005.