Chopart, Pirogoff and Syme Amputations: A Survey of Twenty-one Cases

The latest developments in the fields of biophysics and prosthetics, especially in the use of stump sockets of laminated plastics instead of leather, have revived interest in Chopart's, Pirogoff's and Syme's amputations, which have been in use for over a hundred years.Syme's amputation, in particular, has aroused attention in recent decades (1, 2,3).These amputations, however, are performed relatively seldom to-day.Perhaps below-knee amputation is far too often preferred to surgery at ankh level, or foot injuries are treated conservatively, at the cost of repeated operations and long hospitalization, in order to preserve as much as possible.The study concerns amputees fitted with new types of prostheses by the Prosthetic Shop at the Orthopaedic Hospital of the Invalid Foundation (Helsinki) since 1961.