Amputation is the removal of a limb or other body part, whether by trauma, medical illness or deliberate surgery. As a surgical measure it is used to control pain or a disease process such as cancer or gangrene affecting the limb, and in some cases it is performed preventively before such a problem develops. The oldest confirmed evidence of the practice, a surgically amputated limb belonging to a child, was found on a skeleton dating back at least 31,000 years in Liang Tebo cave on Borneo, and today an amputee's sensation of the missing limb can sometimes be partially restored through a prosthesis or, in some cases, bioelectric replantation.
Facts
Open Questions
Origin YearNo single founding event: the cited source names the oldest confirmed evidence of a successful limb amputation as a skeleton in Liang Tebo cave, Borneo, dated to at least 31,000 years ago; not a claim that amputation began exactly then. Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amputation, lead sectionQuote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amputation, lead section
Amputation is the removal of a limb or other body part by trauma, medical illness, or surgery.
2. Wikipedia: Amputation
WikipediaLead section
The oldest evidence of this practice comes from a skeleton found buried in Liang Tebo cave, East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo dating back to at least 31,000 years ago, where it was done when the amputee was a young child.
Lead section, opening definition
Amputation is the removal of a limb or other body part by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene.
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
What is an amputation and why is it performed?
Removal of a limb or body part by trauma, illness or surgery, surgically used to control pain or disease.
Amputation is the removal of a limb or other body part by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventive surgery for such problems.
What is the difference between below-knee and above-knee amputation?
Below-knee is trans-tibial, between knee and ankle; above-knee is trans-femoral, between hip and knee.
Lower limb amputations can be divided into two broad categories: minor and major. Minor amputations generally refer to the amputation of digits. Major amputations are commonly below-knee or above-knee amputations. A trans-tibial amputation is between the knee joint and the ankle joint and is commonly referred to as a below-knee amputation. A trans-femoral amputation is between the hip joint and the knee joint and is commonly referred to as an above-knee amputation.
What are phantom limbs?
Many amputees feel body parts that are no longer there, sometimes with pain.
A large proportion of amputees (from 50 to 80% to 80-100%, according to different studies) experience the phenomenon of phantom limbs; they feel body parts that are no longer there. These limbs can itch, ache, burn, feel tense, dry or wet, locked in or trapped, or they can feel as if they are moving. Some scientists believe it has to do with a kind of neural map that the brain has of the body. Phantom sensations and phantom pain may also occur after the removal of body parts other than the limbs.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.