Traumatic injury
A 58-year-old male person was admitted to the Emergency Clinical Hospital Bucharest, on June 14th 2010, approximately 7 hours after a traumatic injury of the left leg amputated by the blade of an electric saw.
Amputation was produced at the level of the left talocrural joint, with talar dome fracture, bimalleolar fracture and complete section of the tendons, blood vessels and nerves. Only a small lateral skin bridge of approximately 7 cm remained intact – Figure 1.
After replantation surgery
Replantation surgery of the left leg was performed under general anesthesia with ischemic time lasting 9 hours up to the arterial anastomosis. Metallic osteosynthesis and suture of the blood vessels, nerves and tendons were performed.
REHABILITATION PROGRAM
On the initial physical examination this person presented no inflammatory signs of the skin cicatrisation process after replantation surgery (Figure 3), no edema and no pain syndrome. He did not present any deformity of the foot.
The patient presented protective sensory loss in the affected foot as the patient did not perceive any sensation of light touch, pain, temperature, pressure and vibration.
Delia Cinteza, Rehabilitation Medicine, ncbi