What is Limb Salvage?

Limb salvage or limb sparing surgery is an alternative to complete amputation in patients with cancer, neoplasms, ischemia, severe fractures, diabetic complications, and other limb threatening conditions. To salvage such damaged or diseased limbs, sophisticated surgical and reconstructive techniques are used including bone grafts, transplantations, and microvascular surgical techniques.

Functionality in a Salvaged Limb

One of the goals after limb salvage surgery is to restore as much functionality to the patient as possible. This is particularly true with lower extremity salvage, where balance, gait, and normal motion are impacted by loss of muscle and bone.

Targeted and extensive physical therapy can improve functionality where the following complications associated with limb salvage surgery occur:

Inequality in the length of the limbs
Chronic pain in the spared limb and surrounding tissue
Joint stiffness and instability, particularly of the knees, when normal gait has been disturbed
Stiff phalangeal joints (e.g. hammertoes, clawtoes) in the lower foot
Extensive scar tissue
Edema

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