AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Original Article
Jan 15, 2026 121 43

Prevalence and Overall Burden of Lower Limb Amputations in Patients with Severe Lower Extremity Injuries Following Road Traffic Accidents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Shadrack Barffour Awuah 1,
Emmanuel Cherechi Egwuatu 2 * ,
Cyril Ifeanyichukwu Ezugwu 3,
Alliah Kris-Ann Wright 4,
Kirean Kelechi Eze 5,
Idowu Peter, Shileayo Adebayo 6
1 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Health Sciences, Jackson State University, MS, USA2 Clinical Lead, Infection Prevention Specialist, Elizabeth Residence Assisted Living Community, Bayside, WI, USA3 Deputy Director Emergency Department, Ahad Al-Masaraha General Hospital, Jizan Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 4 Department of Nursing Sciences, Graduate School, College of Nursing, Alverno College, Milwaukee, WI, USA5 Senior Medical Officer, Emergency Department, Turaif General Hospital Turaif, Northern Border, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia6 Clinical Epidemiologist, STD/HIV Prevention Unit, Mississippi State Department of Health, Jackson, MS, USA* Corresponding Author
Australian Journal of Biomedical Research, 2(1), 2026, aubm013, https://doi.org/10.63946/aubiomed/17744
Publication date: Jan 15, 2026
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ABSTRACT

Lower limb amputation is a major public health challenge that significantly impacts the lives of affected individuals, their relatives, healthcare systems, and society at large. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are responsible for a significant percentage of the cases of lower limb amputations. The aim of this research is to analyze the existing literature to determine the prevalence of lower limb amputations resulting from severe lower extremity injuries caused by RTAs, as well as to examine the impact that these amputations have on quality of life (QoL) and psychological consequences.
A thorough literature search was carried out across three databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar), and a total of six publications were included in this review. The pooled effect was evaluated in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software, employing a random effect model. Based on our analysis, the pooled prevalence of lower limb amputations as a result of RTA was 43.2%. Out of the six studies that were considered for inclusion in this review, only three of them reported on results that were related to psychological outcomes and quality of life. It is necessary to have rehabilitation programs that are all-encompassing and address both the physical and psychological components.

KEYWORDS

Prevalence Lower Limb Amputation Road Traffic Accidents Quality of Life Psychological Outcome

CITATION (Vancouver)

Awuah SB, Egwuatu EC, Ezugwu CI, Wright AKA, Eze KK, Adebayo IPS. Prevalence and Overall Burden of Lower Limb Amputations in Patients with Severe Lower Extremity Injuries Following Road Traffic Accidents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Australian Journal of Biomedical Research. 2026;2(1):aubm013. https://doi.org/10.63946/aubiomed/17744
APA
Awuah, S. B., Egwuatu, E. C., Ezugwu, C. I., Wright, A. K.-A., Eze, K. K., & Adebayo, I. P. S. (2026). Prevalence and Overall Burden of Lower Limb Amputations in Patients with Severe Lower Extremity Injuries Following Road Traffic Accidents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Australian Journal of Biomedical Research, 2(1), aubm013. https://doi.org/10.63946/aubiomed/17744
Harvard
Awuah, S. B., Egwuatu, E. C., Ezugwu, C. I., Wright, A. K.-A., Eze, K. K., and Adebayo, I. P. S. (2026). Prevalence and Overall Burden of Lower Limb Amputations in Patients with Severe Lower Extremity Injuries Following Road Traffic Accidents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Australian Journal of Biomedical Research, 2(1), aubm013. https://doi.org/10.63946/aubiomed/17744
AMA
Awuah SB, Egwuatu EC, Ezugwu CI, Wright AKA, Eze KK, Adebayo IPS. Prevalence and Overall Burden of Lower Limb Amputations in Patients with Severe Lower Extremity Injuries Following Road Traffic Accidents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Australian Journal of Biomedical Research. 2026;2(1), aubm013. https://doi.org/10.63946/aubiomed/17744
Chicago
Awuah, Shadrack Barffour, Emmanuel Cherechi Egwuatu, Cyril Ifeanyichukwu Ezugwu, Alliah Kris-Ann Wright, Kirean Kelechi Eze, and Idowu Peter, Shileayo Adebayo. "Prevalence and Overall Burden of Lower Limb Amputations in Patients with Severe Lower Extremity Injuries Following Road Traffic Accidents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". Australian Journal of Biomedical Research 2026 2 no. 1 (2026): aubm013. https://doi.org/10.63946/aubiomed/17744
MLA
Awuah, Shadrack Barffour et al. "Prevalence and Overall Burden of Lower Limb Amputations in Patients with Severe Lower Extremity Injuries Following Road Traffic Accidents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". Australian Journal of Biomedical Research, vol. 2, no. 1, 2026, aubm013. https://doi.org/10.63946/aubiomed/17744

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