Artificial Limbs
Basics
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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
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Rehabilitation Engineering: What is Rehabilitation Engineering?
(National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering)
Also in Spanish
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The Wonderful World of Cosmesis
(Amputee Coalition of America)
- When to Replace a Prosthesis (Amputee Coalition of America)
Specifics
- Amputation and Prosthetics (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
Statistics and Research
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Bionic Movements: Connecting Mind and Machine
(National Institutes of Health)
Also in Spanish
- Brain-Controlled Prosthetics (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
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Amputation, Traumatic
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Artificial Limbs
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
Seniors
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When Are Prostheses the Right Choice for Older Amputees - And When Are They Not?
(Amputee Coalition of America)