The value of skin temperature measurements in forecasting the healing of a below-knee amputation for end-stage ischaemia of the leg in peripheral vascular disease.

In order to forecast the healing of a Burgess type below-knee amputation the skin temperature of the leg has been studied before operation in 39 instances using infra-red thermography in a 26 degrees C environment. Healing bore no relation to the mean skin temperature of the calf or that of the skin at the site of the anterior incision. However, when the skin temperature at the site of the incision for the long posterior flap was greater than 30.4 degrees C or when the ratio of the temperatures at the posterior and anterior incision sites (P/A) was greater than 0.98 healing was significantly more likely to occur. It is proposed that the temperatures at these sites should be used to assess the prospect of such an amputation healing.