[Prosthetic management after amputation injuries of the lower extremities. Orthopedic-technical management].

The primary treatment of a below and above knee amputation consists in replacing the lost extremity with a preliminary prosthesis. This has been of value regarding the medical-social rehabilitation and treatment costs. The final prosthesis in form of a full contact or short stem prosthesis in below knee amputations means extraordinary good comfort to the patient and should be preferred to the "classic" below knee prosthesis with thigh stem. In the last years the final prosthetic design for above knee amputation has changed from the classic transversal-oval form to the longitudinal-oval CAT-CAM-stem. The distinctive advantages of this design is a physiological weight bearing of the hip joint and no risk of compression of the medial vessels.