Amputations following motorcycle accidents. A 1-year experience

Of 110 patients who had recently undergone an amputation and were seen at the Amputee Service at the Johannesburg Hospital during January 1982 - February 1983, 40 had required post-traumatic amputations following motorcycle accidents. The majority of these patients had sustained such severe bone and soft-tissue damage that it had been necessary to perform amputation on the day of admission. The high morbidity following motorcycle injuries is cause for concern and recommendations to reduce the rate of injury are offered.