J Trauma
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Multicenter Study
Knee dislocations with vascular injury: outcomes in the Lower Extremity Assessment Project (LEAP) Study.
The purpose of this study is to report the clinical and functional results of a cohort of patients with knee dislocations associated with vascular injury. ⋯ Patients who sustain a limb-threatening knee dislocation have a moderate to high level of disability 2 years after injury. Nearly one in five patients who present to a Level I trauma center with a dysvascular limb associated with a knee dislocation will require amputation. Prolonged warm ischemia time was associated with a high rate of amputation. Patients who sustain vascular injuries associated with a knee dislocation need immediate transport to a trauma hospital, rapid assessment and diagnosis at presentation, and revascularization. Patients with these injuries can be effectively treated without angiography before surgery.