Editing Kneecapping (section)

== Treatment ==

The severity of the injury can vary from simple [[soft tissue]] damage to a knee joint fracture with [[neurovascular bundle|neurovascular]] damage. The latter requires several weeks in hospital and intensive [[Patient#Outpatients and inpatients|outpatient]] [[physical therapy|physiotherapy]] for recovery.{{sfn|Barr|Mollan|1989|pp=740–741}} If the damage is too great, [[amputation]] may be necessary,{{sfn|Williams|1997|p=79}} but this rarely occurs. In [[Northern Ireland]] thirteen people had their legs amputated as a consequence of limb punishment shootings over the duration of [[the Troubles]].{{sfn|Graham|Parke|2004|p=229}} In the long term it is estimated that one out of five victims will walk with a [[limp]] for the rest of their lives.{{sfn|Conroy|1980}}