One hundred and eighty-three conservative amputations of some part of the foot in 161 patients with gangrene from diabetes or arteriosclerosis have been studied retrospectively. They constituted 48 per cent of all amputations in one orthopaedic service over a period of twelve years, during which the minimal feasible procedure was always chosen. Sixty per cent healed soundly, but in over a third of these cases at least one revision to a higher level on the foot had been required. Factors that significantly influenced the outcome of the initial operation were the level of amputation, the age of the patient, the interval between the onset of gangrene and operation, anaemia and pyrexia.