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    Discharge Instructions: Wrapping Your Stump Below the Knee

    Wrapping your stump keeps the limb from swelling. And it shapes it so that it fits more comfortably in a prosthesis. You’ll probably need to keep your limb wrapped (or keep it in a “shrinker sock”) at all times—except when you bathe or wear a prosthesis. If it’s hard for you to wrap the limb yourself, have someone wrap it for you. You may want to wrap it before you put on your underclothes.

    General guidelines

    • Use 1 or 2 clean 4-inch elastic bandages each day. You may want to sew them together end to end.

    • Sit on the edge of a firm bed or chair. As you wrap, keep your knee extended on a stump board or chair of the same height.

    • Always wrap in a diagonal direction. Wrapping straight across the limb can cut off the blood supply.

    • Keep the tension greatest at the end of the limb. Gradually reduce the tension as you work up the lower leg.

    • Make sure there are at least 2 layers of bandage and that no layer directly overlaps another. Keep the bandage free of wrinkles and creases.

    • Be sure there is no puckering or bulging of the skin. Check to make sure that all the skin below the knee is covered. Don’t cover the kneecap.

    • Rewrap the limb every  4 to 6 hours, or if the bandage starts to slip or feel loose.

    • Tingling or throbbing anywhere in the limb may be a sign that the tension is too tight. Rewrap the bandage, using less tension.

    Step 1

    • Hold the bandage in one hand with the roll facing up and toward you.

    • With the other hand, hold the end of the bandage against the front of the limb, just below the knee.

    • Slowly unroll the bandage diagonally down the front of the lower leg to the inside corner of the limb.

    Step 2

    • Wrap the bandage over the inside corner of the limb. Give it a slight tug so that it stays firmly against the skin.

    • Bring the bandage around the back of the limb to the outside of the lower leg.

    • Wrap diagonally up the lower leg toward the knee. Cross over the end of the bandage to hold it in place.

    Step 3

    • Go around the back of the lower leg. Bring the bandage to the front on the outside, just below the knee.

    • Wrap diagonally down the front of the lower leg to the inside of the limb.

    Step 4

    • Bring the bandage around the back of the limb and forward over the outside corner. Give the bandage another gentle tug to keep it firmly against the skin.

    • Wrap diagonally up the front of the lower leg.

    Step 5

    • Go around to the back of the limb and come to the front again below the knee.

    • Wrap diagonally down the front of the lower leg toward the inside corner of the limb.

    • Repeat steps 2 through 4 until all the skin below the knee is totally covered.

    Step 6

    • To keep the bandage from slipping, bring it up one side of the knee, around the back of the thigh, and down the other side of the knee.

    • Then wrap diagonally down and around the lower leg to the end of the bandage.

    • Attach the end of the bandage to the layer below it with paper tape. Don't use safety pins or clips.

    Follow-up care

    Make a follow-up appointment with your healthcare provider, or as advised.

    When to call your healthcare provider

    Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these:

    • Redness at the end of the stump that does not go away

    • Bad odor from the stump

    • Swelling or increasing pain at the end of the stump

    • More bleeding than usual or discharge from the stump

    • Stump that has a chalky white or blackish color

    Online Medical Reviewer: Raymond Turley Jr PA-C
    Online Medical Reviewer: Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN
    Online Medical Reviewer: Thomas N Joseph MD
    Date Last Reviewed: 7/1/2022
    © 2000-2024 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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    Southern New Mexico
    Surgery Center

    2301 Indian Wells Rd. Suite B
    Alamogordo, NM 88310
    www.snmsc.org

    Phone: 575.437.0890
    Fax: 575.437.0905
    Email: info@snmsc.org

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