title: Amputation: a ten-year survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limb loss occurs due to different causes and has been increased in many countries. It has without exception, great economic, psychological and social impacts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study assesses the demographics of amputees in one city of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study was undertaken on all of the amputees between April 2002 and December 2011. Patients' demographics including age, sex, the amputated limb, etiology of limb loss and level of amputation were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We had 216 patients in the study. The average number of amputations was 21.6 per year and varied from 14 to 32. The mean age of amputation was 39.26± 12.6 years. Of the patients, 172 were male (79.62%) and 44 female (20.37%); 119 of the amputations (55.09 %) were major and 97 minor (44.9 %). The most common cause of amputation was trauma and the most common was the toe. In trauma patients the mean age was 38.12± 10.25 years and 98 (83.7%) were male.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to similar studies in developed countries, trauma was found to be the major cause of all types of amputations. Results of this study may be used in prevention planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Imam Ali Educational Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Amene
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sabzi Sarvestani
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Afshin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taheri Azam
keywords: Amputation; Etiology; Iran