The Troubles in Northern Ireland have now lasted 34 years. Divisions and strife between the opposing loyalist and republican communities, and between the communities and the security forces, have led to thousands of deaths and
injuries. The violence has often been indiscriminate injuring and killing totally innocent people. Staff at the Regional Disablement Services at Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast have had the responsibility for helping to rehabilitate those who have suffered limb loss, both civilians and security forces personnel. In this study the authors present patient demographics for those survivors, referred for prosthetic fitting, who have sustained limb
amputations as a result of the Troubles from 1969 to 2003, with the cause of injury, resulting levels of
amputation, associated
injuries, time to first prosthetic fitting and reason for any delay in fitting identified. One hundred and twenty-nine (129) patients sustained
amputations, 110 male and 19 female with an age range at the time of injury from 7 to 60 years. Seventy-two (72) were civilian. Ninety-three (93) underwent immediate
amputation, the most frequent level of
amputation being trans-femoral. Delayed healing of deep
wounds was the most common reason for delayed
amputation; other causes were chronic
osteomyelitis,
malunited fractures and failed
arthrodesis, often associated with
chronic pain. Ninety-two (92) patients required
amputation of one limb or part thereof, 35 required
amputation of 2 limbs and 2 underwent triple
amputation. Three (3) patients lost both hands. Sixty seven percent (67%) had other associated physical
injuries. Thirty-two (32) patients had a delay of 6 months or more in fitting a
prosthesis. The most common cause of injury was the car bomb.