Cut off my leg to spite my face

A new study by Chicago's Northwestern University found that African American patients from Chicago's south and west sides are five times as likely to have a lower limb amputation than patients from overwhelmingly white suburban Chicago.

According to ScienceDaily.com, which filed the story, the issue is about racial and class inequities in the delivery of quality medical care.

An author of the study said:

"Amputations are the canary in the coal mine for quality of care. Many amputations are preventable. This means the primary care for minority people may not be very good."

The study linked high amputation rates to lack of primary care and special care for diabetes, which remains a major cause for lower limb amputation.