Papers of the Week

Lower extremity amputations are often associated with limited post-operative functionality and post-operative complications. Removable rigid dressings (RRDs) have been utilized following below knee amputation (BKA) to improve limb maturation, decrease post-operative complications, reduce time to prosthesis casting, and limit conversion rates to above knee amputation (AKA). We hypothesized that usage of RRD following BKA will correlate with decreased prescription narcotics required at discharge and improved ambulatory status at follow-up.