You are likely to hear and see words that you don’t recognise when visiting a prosthetic and orthotic clinic for the first time, or researching prosthetic and orthotic treatment.
To help you feel more comfortable discussing your treatment and understand information you find online, STEPS Prosthetics have created a glossary of commonly used terminology.
- Amputation: The surgical removal of all or part of a limb due to disease or injury
- Amputee: A person who has undergone amputation of one or more of their limbs, in part or entirely.
- Bilateral: Amputation of both arms or legs.
- Congenital Limb Deficiency: An absent, shortened or abnormal limb present at birth
- Disarticulation: Amputation level through the joint – this can take place at the hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow or wrist joints.
- Gait: Referring to the manner or style of walking.
- Lower Limb (LL): Relating to the leg(s).
- Orthotist: Clinician who designs and fits orthotic devices (orthoses).
- Partial Foot: Amputation through any part of the foot leaving the ankle intact.
- Prosthesis: An artificial replacement for a body part (plural: prostheses)
- Prosthetist: Clinician who designs and fits the prosthetic devices (prostheses).
- Quadrilateral: Limb loss involving four limbs
- Residual Limb/Stump: Description of part of the limb remaining limb following amputation.
- Socket: Part of the prosthesis that encapsulates the residual limb and connects the residual limb/stump to the prosthesis.
- Symes: Another name to describe disarticulation amputation through the ankle.
- Transfemoral amputation: An amputation level through the femur, between the knee and hip joints. Can also be called an above knee amputation.
- Transhumeral amputation: An amputation level through the humerus, between the elbow and shoulder joints. Can also be called an above elbow amputation.
- Transpelvic: Amputation of entire lower limb, plus a portion of the pelvic bone; may also be referred to as a hemipelvectomy
- Transradial amputation: An amputation level through the radius and ulnar, between the wrist and elbow joints. Can also be called a below elbow amputation.
- Transtibial amputation: An amputation level through the tibia and fibula, between the knee and ankle joints. Can also be called a below knee amputation.
- Trilateral: Loss of three limbs
- Upper Limb (UL): Relating to the arm(s).
