Amputation Rates Rose in Opioid-Related Hospitalizations - Summary - MDSpire
From the Journals

Amputation Rates Rose in Opioid-Related Hospitalizations

National inpatient analysis found steeper increases in amputations during opioid-related hospitalizations, particularly in the Northeast and West.

  • By

  • Andrea Surnit

  • May 8, 2026

  • 3 min

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Between 2016 and 2022, amputation rates have surged among opioid-related hospitalizations in the United States, outpacing those in nonopioid-related cases. Analyzing over 41 million hospitalizations, researchers found that while overall amputation rates remained low, opioid-related cases saw a rise from 56 to 92 per 10,000 hospitalizations. Factors such as higher rates of upper-extremity and knee amputations in opioid cases may be linked to frequent drug injection and the presence of contaminated street opioids. Limitations include challenges in establishing a definitive causal relationship.

Original Source(s)

Amputation Rates Rose in Opioid-Related Hospitalizations

  • by Andrea Surnit

  • May 8, 2026

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