Amputee population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A 14 year retrospective study was conducted of 3210 amputees who attended during the period 1977-1990 at Riyadh Medical Rehabilitation Centre (RMRC), the first and the largest rehabilitation centre in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The mean age was 30.5 years, male slightly older than female. The mean age of the lower limb amputees was 32.6 and of the upper limb amputees 21.8 years. An overall predominance of male to female with a ratio of 6.1:1 was observed. Males outnumbered females by 5 to 1 in the upper limb and 6.3 to 1 in lower limb amputees. The ratio of lower limb to upper limb and multiple limb amputees was 15:3.7:1. Trauma was the leading cause of upper limb amputations (86.9%). In the lower limb, although trauma (52.9%) was the prominent cause, 35.9% was due to disease. Major specific causes of trauma were road traffic accidents, machine accidents, and falls from height. The most common site of unilateral amputations was trans-tibial (45.2%), followed by trans-femoral (21.6%), trans-radial (7.6%), partial hand (4.8%), and trans-humeral (4.7%). Comparison with other studies shows a higher mean age and fewer trans-tibial amputees than in Australia and other Western countries, while studies in Asia show greater similarities to the present investigation as regards trauma and disease incidence which occur in similar patterns. These patterns of amputee population indicate the demand for prosthetic service and provide guidelines for future development.