Landmine amputees referred to the Royal Medical Services-Jordan.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the epidemiology of landmine amputees at the Royal Medical Services (RMS) in Jordan.


METHODS
This is a retrospective study of patients with amputation due to landmine explosions seen in the prosthetics-orthotics clinic at the RMS in Jordan between January 1988 and January 2000. The records of all patients injured through landmine explosions were available for study.


RESULTS
During the 12-year study period, 226 patients with 241 amputations were seen in the clinic. Of these 212 (94%) were male, and 14 (6%) were female. Military personnel comprised 68.6% of the total. The majority of amputations involved the lower limbs, and the most frequent level was trans-tibial. Most of the patients were injured in the 1970s and 1990s. The majority of the patients were young, and 10% of the patients were children.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of amputations from landmine injuries in Jordan is considerable, and places a significant burden on the health care system.
Al-Worikat
A F
AF
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, King Hussein Medical Center, Amman, Jordan.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000674:Amputees; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005107:Explosions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D012189:Retrospective Studies