A new study evaluating region- and sex-specific differences of unilateral and bilateral lower-limb amputations across the United States from 1990 to 2019 found an overall decrease in unilateral and bilateral amputations. However, the authors wrote that the data indicated “vast disparities between different genders and geographical locations.”
The researchers used the Global Burden of Disease database to analyze years lived with disability, prevalence, and incidence rates per 100,000 people for lower-limb amputations and stratified the data into four regions defined by the US Census Bureau: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Years lived with disability represents “one full year of healthy life lost due to disability or ill-health,” as defined by the World Health Organization.
According to the study, from 1990 to 2019, the US experienced an overall decrease in years lived with disability (33.07 percent), incidence (22.11 percent), and prevalence (29.9 3 percent) of bilateral lower-limb amputations. Unilateral lower-limb amputations saw a decrease in years lived with disability (21.43 percent) and prevalence (15.61 percent), but an increase in incidence (9.05 percent).
Men surpassed women in years lived with disability, incidence, and prevalence of unilateral and bilateral amputations in all regions. The West had the highest incidence and prevalence of both bilateral and unilateral lower-limb amputations during the period. By 2019, the South had the lowest incidence, and the Northeast had the lowest years lived with disability and prevalence of bilateral and unilateral lower-limb amputations.
The researchers concluded that the findings demonstrated the significance of targeted public health interventions for diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular diseases, neuropathy, and trauma, and future research should focus on understanding and addressing the variations between sexes.
The open-access study, “Epidemiology of lower extremity amputations in the United States: An analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Database From 1990 to 2019,” was published in Cureus.
