Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32917429›Full record

ArticleSurgery2020

Racial and ethnic disparities in lower extremity amputation: Assessing the role of frailty in older adults.

Viraj Pandit, Peter Nelson, Kelly Kempe, Karli Gage, Muhammad Zeeshan, Hyein Kim, Muhammad Khan, Bradley Trinidad, Wei Zhou, Tze-Woei Tan

Open access · greenAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Association of Frailty and Postoperative Outcomes across Race and Ethnicity.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Geographic and Ethnic Inequalities in Diabetes-Related Amputations.Frontiers in clinical diabetes and healthcare · 2022
    Review
  10. Chronic Lower Extremity Ischemia and Its Association with the Frailty Syndrome in Patients with Diabetes.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Viraj PanditDivision of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, OK. Electronic address: vpandit@ouhsc.edu.
Peter NelsonDivision of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, OK.
Kelly KempeDivision of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, OK.
Karli GageDivision of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, OK.
Muhammad ZeeshanDepartment of Surgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York, NY.
Hyein KimDivision of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, OK.
Muhammad KhanDepartment of Surgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York, NY.
Bradley TrinidadDepartment of Vascular Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
Wei ZhouDepartment of Vascular Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
Tze-Woei TanDepartment of Vascular Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
University of Oklahoma · USUniversity of Arizona · USWestchester Medical Center · USTulsa Community College · US

Funding

Determinants in Limb Preservation in Hispanics and Native AmericansK23DK122126 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI TAN, TZE-WOEI · 2019 to 2023
$845k
NIDDK NIH HHS K23 DK122126
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFrailty is a state of decreased physiologic reserve contributing to functional decline and is associated with adverse surgical outcomes, particularly in the elderly. Racial disparities have been reported previously both in frail individuals and in limb-salvage patients. Our goal was to assess whether race and ethnicity are disproportionately linked to frailty status in geriatric patients undergoing lower-limb amputation, leading to an increased risk of complications.

methodsA 3-year analysis was conducted of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database and included all geriatric (age ≥65 years) patients who underwent amputation of the lower limb. The frailty index was calculated using the 11-factor modified frailty index with a cutoff limit of 0.27 defined for frail status. Outcomes were 30-day complications, mortality, and readmissions. Multivariate regression analysis was performed.

resultsA total of 4,218 geriatric patients underwent surgical amputation of a lower extremity (above knee: 41%; below knee: 59%). Of these patients, 29% were frail, 26% were African American, and 9% were Hispanic. Being African American (odds ratio: 1.6 [1.3-1.9]) and Hispanic (odds ratio: 1.1 [1.05-2.5]) was independently associated with frail status. Frail African Americans had a higher likelihood of 30-day complications (odds ratio: 3.2 [1.9-4.4]) and 30-day readmissions (odds ratio: 2.9 [1.8-3.6]) when compared with nonfrail individuals. Similarly, frail Hispanics had higher 30-day complications (odds ratio: 2.6 [1.9-3.1]) and 30-day readmissions (odds ratio: 1.4 [1.1-2.7]) compared with nonfrail Hispanics/Latinos.

conclusionAfrican American and Hispanic geriatric patients undergoing lower-limb amputation are at increased risk for frailty status and, as a result, increased associated operative complications. These disparities exist regardless of age, sex, comorbid conditions, and location of amputation. Further studies are needed to highlight disparities by race and ethnicity to identify potentially modifiable risk factors, decrease frailty, and improve outcomes.

Indexed as

Health Status DisparitiesAgedAged, 80 and overAmputation, SurgicalBlack or African AmericanFemaleFrail ElderlyFrailtyGeriatric AssessmentHispanic or LatinoHumansLimb SalvageLower ExtremityMaleMinority GroupsPatient Readmission

Identifiers

PMID32917429
PMCPMC8136972
OpenAlexW3083942883

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.