special subjects
Overview of Limb Prosthetics
Introduction
A limb prosthesis is an artificial limb that replaces a missing body part, usually because it has been amputated. The main causes of limb amputation are Blood vessel (vascular) disease, particularly from Diabetes Mellitus (DM) or Cancer Injury (for example, from a motor vehicle crash, work-related accident, or military combat) Birth defect In the United States, about 1 in 200 people are currently living with the loss of a limb, and about 500 amputations are done each day. This percentage is likely to increase because, as the population ages, more people will develop diabetes and vascular disease. For people who have had an amputation, a prosthesis (artificial limb) is often recommended to replace that body part. At a minimum, a prosthesis should enable the person to perform daily activities (such as walking, eating, and dressing) independently and comfortably. At best, a prosthesis may enable the person to function as well or nearly as well as before the amputation. Success with a prosthesis is most likely to occur when the clinical team involved has many different types of professionals, depending on the person’s needs. At a minimum, core team members include the surgeon, prosthetist, and physical therapist. Prosthetists are experts who evaluate the amputee's overall functional capabilities and develop a prosthesis treatment plan, which includes designing, fitting, fabricating, and adjusting the prosthesis and providing lifetime follow-up care to maintain the prosthesis and provide advice and instruction on care. For more complex cases, the team could also include a physiatrist, occupational therapist, social worker, psychologist, and family members. People may have concerns regarding passing through airport security with a prosthesis. Security personnel typically do not ask people to remove a prosthesis. If they do, they are obligated to do this in a private setting, because it usually requires removing some clothing. It may be useful for the prosthetist to write a letter stating that the prosthesis has metallic and microprocessor components and that leaving the prosthesis off for more than 10 to 15 minutes could make it difficult to put it back on because the fluid volume of the stump will increase. 