Limb Loss

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• No links available

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

People can lose all or part of an arm or leg for many reasons. Common ones include:

• Problems with the flow of blood through your body. These may be the result of atherosclerosis or diabetes. Severe cases may result in amputation (the surgical removal of a limb).
• Injuries, including from traffic accidents and military combat.
• Cancer.
• Birth defects.

Some amputees have phantom pain, which is the feeling of pain in the missing limb. Other physical problems include surgical complications and skin problems if you wear an artificial limb. Many amputees use an artificial limb. Learning how to use it takes time. Physical therapy can help you adapt.

Recovery from the loss of a limb can be hard. Sadness, anger, and frustration are common. If you are having a tough time, talk to your health care provider. Treatment with medicine or counseling can help.

Start Here

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• First Step -- A Guide for Adapting to Limb Loss (Amputee Coalition) - PDF
• Points to Know and Consider When Preparing for and Undergoing an Amputation (Amputee Coalition)

Prevention and Risk Factors

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• Amputations (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - PDF
• Diabetic Complications and Amputation Prevention (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

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• Care of Your Wounds After Amputation Surgery (Amputee Coalition)

Living With

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• Beginning Your New Journey: Below Knee Amputation (Amputee Coalition)
• Beginning Your New Journey: Upper-Limb Amputation
• Behginning Your New Journey: Above Knee Amputation
• Emotional Recovery (Amputee Coalition)
• Rehabilitation After Limb Amputation (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• When a Parent Loses a Limb: Helping Children Cope (Amputee Coalition)

Related Issues

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• Residual Limb Pain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Wound Care: Preventing Infection (Amputee Coalition)

Specifics

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• Before Your Amputation: Questions to Ask Your Surgeon (Amputee Coalition)
• Living with Phantom Limb Pain (Amputee Coalition)

Clinical Trials

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• ClinicalTrials.gov: Amputation (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Amputation, Traumatic (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Amputees (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Artificial Limbs (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Phantom Limb (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

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• Article: Body representation in dreams of congenital and early-life amputees.
• Article: Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human-machine interfaces.
• Article: Open dataset of kinetics, kinematics, and electromyography of above-knee amputees during...
• Limb Loss -- see more articles

Children

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• Missing or Incompletely Formed Limbs (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Pediatric Limb Loss and Limb Difference: An Introduction for Parents (Amputee Coalition)

Patient Handouts

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• Foot amputation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Leg amputation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Leg or foot amputation (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Leg or foot amputation - dressing change (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Phantom limb pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Traumatic amputation (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish