War-related limb amputations among soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a descriptive case series study

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Soldiers on the front line are at risk of traumatic limb amputations. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), due to recurring clashes in the eastern part of the country, many soldiers have experienced disabilities, including amputated limbs. To our knowledge, no data is currently available. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics of war-related limb amputations among military personnel in the DRC. This was a case-series study conducted in three defense zones among 343 soldiers with war-related limb amputations of the DRC from August 2022 to August 2025. Data were collected from administrative and medical records and analyzed using STATA software, version 18. Three hundred and forty-three soldiers were selected. The average age was 34 ± 8 years. The 18–30 age group was the most represented (47.2%). There were 341 men (99.1%) and three women (0.9%). Ground force units represented 96.2%. The lower limbs were affected in 62.4% of cases, while the upper limbs affected 37.6% of soldiers. In the lower limbs, transtibial amputations accounted for 58.9%, while in the upper limbs, transhumeral amputations amputations accounted for 70.0%. Infection was observed in 84.2% of cases. War-related limb amputations among soldiers in the DRC predominantly affect young men in their most productive years, with firearm injuries being the leading mechanism and the lower limbs most commonly involved. The study reveals a high burden of post-amputation complications, underscoring the need to strengthen the continuum of trauma care, including prevention, evacuation, surgical management, rehabilitation, and trauma surveillance systems.