Major Limb Amputations: Etiological and Clinical Profile in a Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa

Introduction: During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Wars were the cause of many amputations among military and civilians. Despite the absence of armed conflict in our country, we notice a high frequency of major amputations in our activity. Objective: The aim of this work was to study the causes of major amputations observed in our practice in order to develop preventive measures. Materials and Method: This was a descriptive retrospective study over a 6-year period, from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2014. The following parameters were studied: epidemiological aspects (age according to WHO age groups and gender of patients), type of amputation, level of amputation and causes. Results: Two hundred and fifty-two patients were included. The distribution of amputations by cause and age group showed two distinct entities: The forms of the young subject where there was a predominance of tumour and traumatic causes;and the forms of the elderly person caused by vascular infections and conditions. Infections were the main cause of amputation in both sexes. Conclusion: The causes of major limb amputations vary according to age and limb: tumor and trauma in young people and for the upper limb, infectious and vascular in the elderly and for the lower limb.