Determinants of healing and readiness for prosthetic fitting after transtibial amputation: Integrative literature review.

Preamputation assessment is most critical in patients who present with a longer list of comorbidities and suboptimal physiologic factors known to predict wound complications. Clinical judgment is most subjective when determining the degree of healing over time. Readiness for prosthetic treatment need not wait for complete healing of the residuum. Future research is needed to assess transcutaneous oxygen profusion along with other noninvasive measures of blood flow and perfusion as a more objective way to track progression of healing over time. This objective methodology would quantify healing, reduce subjectivity, and promote research to compare different enhanced recovery after surgery protocols for their impact on healing after amputation.