[Epidemiological data on lower leg amputations. A study of 1487 amputations].

The examination is based on the operative amputee statistics at the university hospital Göttingen between 1983 and 1992 as well as the prosthetic treatment statistics at the university hospital for Technological Orthopedics and Rehabilitation (TO Münster) between January 1991 and March 1993. The comparison of epidemiologic data from both hospitals allow to give statements concerning etiology, level of amputation and age distribution. With a percentage of 78.6 dysvascular diseases were the principal cause for amputations at the Göttingen hospital, which is 10% less than described in modern literature. The respective percentage was 43% in Münster, followed by a 35.9% share for amputations caused by trauma. Our results demonstrate the relevance of amputations which are not due to dysvascular diseases in prosthetic treatment.