Transtibial Amputation Outcomes Study

The goals of the TAOS study is to determine the best procedures for below the knee amputations. There are two different procedures currently used by surgeons around the county: the Erlt procedure and the Burgess procedure. Proponents of the Ertl procedure advocate that the surgical formation of a tibia to fibula bone bridge provides stability, shape and weight bearing capability to the residual limb that result in less pain and better prosthetic fit and alignment. This procedure is popular especially among the military but it's advantages over the Burgess procedure are not well supported by current research. This study aims to compare the two amputation procedures in an adequately powered randomized trial.