Eli5: Why didn’t old times amputation use the butcher’s method?

Question

Was just reading on pre 20th century amputations and how they strived to be as fast as possible, cutting through bone and all.
Why didn’t they just amputate at the joint, like a butcher cuts pork or beef? That would have been way faster than sawing off though bone.

In: 8

Answer 1

Way back they would because cutting the bone would increase the chance of infection by a lot. But once prosthetics became viable, keeping major joints intact. In the case of an emergency where, for some reason, a layperson had to amputate a rotting limb, you’re better off cutting at the joint butcher style.