Severe trauma to the lower extremity: long-term sequelae.

Limb salvage after major traumatic injury to the lower extremity has become commonplace in modern trauma centers. Despite initial successful limb salvage, however, long-term complications often occur. We present 121 patients who were treated for complications after major injuries to the lower limb at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center. In general, these patients required a total of 224 surgical procedures over an average of approximately three years after injury to achieve a successful outcome. Final limb function, however, was often impaired.