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Summary
People can lose all or part of an arm or leg for a number of reasons. Common ones include:
- Circulation problems from atherosclerosis or diabetes. They may cause you to need an amputation.
- Traumatic injuries, including from traffic accidents and military combat
- Cancer
- Birth defects
If you are missing an arm or leg, an artificial limb can sometimes replace it. The device, which is called a prosthesis, can help you to perform daily activities such as walking, eating, or dressing. Some artificial limbs let you function nearly as well as before.
Related Issues
-
Rehabilitation Engineering: What is Rehabilitation Engineering?
(National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering)
Also in Spanish
- The Wonderful World of Cosmesis (Amputee Coalition of America)
- When to Replace a Prosthesis (Amputee Coalition of America)
Statistics and Research
- Brain-Machine Interfaces: Converting Thoughts into Action (Society for Neuroscience)
- Prosthetic Engineering (Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Prosthetics / Limb Loss (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
- Prosthetics and Related Technology (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Amputation, Traumatic
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Artificial Limbs
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Listening to children with lower limb loss: Rationale, design, and protocol...
- Article: A clinical comparison of a digital versus conventional design methodology for...
- Article: Human factors considerations of Interaction between wearers and intelligent lower-limb prostheses:...
- Artificial Limbs -- see more articles
Find an Expert
Older Adults
- Older Adults Can Thrive as Prosthesis Users (Amputee Coalition of America)
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.