An amputation (also known as a traumatic amputation) is a word used to describe the loss of a limb (a leg or an arm) or a digit (a finger or a toe).
The National Limb Loss Information Center estimates that there are 1.7 million Americans living with limb amputations and that every 1 in 200 people in our country has had an amputation. In some instances, an amputated limb or digit, which has been severed, can be reattached through surgery. But in the majority of cases, a prosthetic limb is used and will deliver a more positive outcome.
Traumatic amputation or loss of a body part is usually the result of an accident or some injury. Most often, the body parts that are amputated include:
Finger
Hand
Arm
Leg