The results demonstrate that osseointegration surgery using the OPL is a relatively safe and effective procedure for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of lower limb amputees.

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IntroductionLower limb amputations have detrimental influences on the quality of life, function and body image of the affected patients. Following amputation, prolonged rehabilitation is required for patients to be fitted with traditional socket prostheses, and many patients experience symptomatic socket–residuum interface problems which lead to reduced prosthetic use and quality of life. Osseointegration has recently emerged as a novel approach for the reconstruction of amputated limbs, which overcomes many of the socket-related problems by directly attaching the prosthesis to the skeletal residuum. To date, the vast majority of osseointegration procedures worldwide have been performed in 2 stages, which require at least 4 months and up to 18 months for the completion of reconstruction and rehabilitation from the time of the initial surgery. The current prospective cohort study evaluates the safety and efficacy of a single-stage osseointegration procedure performed under the Osseointegration Group of Australia Accelerated Protocol-2 (OGAAP-2), which dramatically reduces the time of recovery to ∼3–6 weeks.Methods and analysisThe inclusion criteria for osseointegrated reconstruction under the OGAAP-2 procedure are age over 18 years, unilateral transfemoral amputation and experiencing problems or difficulties in using socket prostheses. All patients receive osseointegrated implants which are press-fitted into the residual bone. Functional and quality-of-life outcome measures are recorded preoperatively and at defined postoperative follow-up intervals up to 2 years. Postoperative adverse events are also recorded. The preoperative and postoperative values are compared for each outcome measure, and the benefits and harms of the single-stage OGAAP-2 procedure will be compared with the results obtained using a previously employed 2-stage procedure.Ethics and disseminationThis study has received ethics approval from the University of Notre Dame, Sydney, Australia (014153S). The study outcomes will be disseminated by publications in peer-reviewed academic journals and presentations at relevant clinical and orthopaedic conferences.

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

STRESS ULCERS OCCUR frequently in intensive care unit patients who have intracranial disease. After major physiological stress, endoscopic evidence of mucosal lesions of the gastrointestinal tract appears within 24 hours of injury; 17% of these erosions progress to clinically significant bleeding. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage has been associated with mortality rates of up to 50%. The pathogenesis of stress ulcers may not be completely understood, but gastric acid and pepsin appear to play significant roles. Antacids, H2 antagonists, and sucralfate are effective prophylactic agents in the medical/surgical intensive care unit. Appropriate therapy for neurosurgical patients remains unclear, however. This review summarizes the current literature regarding the pathogenesis and therapy of stress ulcers in neurosurgical patients.