Exam 1 Review Flashcards
Surgical Techniques for amputation (3)
- Myoplasty: attach muscle to muscle
- Better for patients with vascular problems
- performed between the agonist and antagonist muscle groups) reestablishing a muscle pumping action
- gives greater control to the limb and adds a muscle padding over the end of the limb.
- Myodesis: Attach Muscle to periosteal bone
- not recommended for ischemic patients
- causes bone trauma
- Myofascial: Attach muscle to fascia
Causes of amputation (6)
- Peripheral vascular disease
- most common cause of amputation in adults
- Diabetes
- Trauma
- Infections
- Tumors
- Limb deficiencies
Evaluating blood flow (techniques):
- Auscultation via a stethoscope
- Palpation
- Doppler Ultrasound Blood Pressure
- most readily available objective measure of blood flow and perfusion
- used to detect both arterial and venous blood flow
- Impedance plethysmography
* Often used to detect DVT
In a straight vessel blood flow is termed _______. In a diseased vessel with plaque formation, blood flow has a higher velocity through the occlusion. Distal to the occlusion blood flow is _________.
– laminar
– turbulent
Factors that determine level of amputation:
- Adequate circulation
- Save as much length as possible while removing all non-viable tissue
- A residual limb that allows a pain free return to functional activity
A residual limb that is very short may be:
Difficult to fit
A residual limb which is very long (trans-tib) may be:
Prone to circulatory problems
Saving as much length and as many joints as possible allows:
– ↑ amount of surface area for suspension
– ↓ rotation of knee units and foot/ankle components
– Leaves more of the adductor longus attachment to minimize contractures
– Creates a longer limb for sitting and transfers
Too long transfemoral amputation:
- Makes padding the residual limb more difficult
- Leaves less room for prosthetic components
- Difficulty matching leg length to prosthetic knee center
To Prevent neuromas
Resect nerves under gentle traction
Minimize soft tissue trauma from sharp or irregular bone edges
Bevel bone ends
To improve function and shape
- Muscle fixation
- Fibula ~ 1cm shorter than tibia
Suture line should:
…avoid bony prominences and the distal end
Transtibial amputations often use this closure:
Long posterior flap
- provide better vascular supply
Transfemoral Amputation commonly use this closure:
Fishmouth
- Equal length posterior/anterior flaps
“Problems” with closures:
- Dog ears
- Adherent scars
- Neuromas
Post-operative complications (Co-morbidities):
- Wound infections
- Cardio-vascular
- DVT
- Decubiti
Residual limb shapes (3):
- Conical
- Cylindrical
- Cylindrical shape is better suited for total contact prosthetic fitting devices
- Bulbous
Skin sensation may be assessed using
Semmes-Weinstein filaments
- If a patient cannot consistently feel the touch of a 5.07 filament, the protective sensation has been lost
Skin Inspection of the residual limb:
- scar adherence
- coolness
- possible arterial insufficiency
- abnormal warmth
- possible infection
- impaired sensitivity
Phantom Limb Pain vs. Phantom Limb Sensation
- Phantom pain is characterized by a perception of pain in the absent distal extremity
- Often desribed as shooting, burning, stabbing or crushing
- Phantom Limb Sensation is a perception of the absent distal extremity
Components of an evaluation of a patient with amputation:
- DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
- FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT
- TESTS & MEASURES OF RESIDUAL LIMB
- TEST & MEASURES OF INTACT LIMB
Components of the functional evaluation:
- Ambulation
- Transfers
- Bandaging/Use of a shrinker
TESTS & MEASURES OF RESIDUAL LIMB
- LENGTH
- CIRCUMFERENCE
- SHAPE
- APPEARANCE
- ROM
- STRENGTH
- STABILITY
- SKIN