Toe amputation: a predictor of future limb loss?

Background: Digital toe amputation is a relatively minor surgical procedure but there is a historical view that it is the "first stage in a predictable clinical course" leading to eventual limb loss. There is a paucity of contemporaneous data on the long-term outcomes of patients undergoing toe amputation. We aim to study the experience from our institution, focussing on the risk factors for progression to future limb loss, by conducting a retrospective review of our practice.