# Amputation --- **Amputation** is the [[surgery|surgical ]]removal of part of or an entire [[anatomy|limb]]. It can be done because of irrecoverable trauma, or to save the rest of the person's life in the case of conditions like [[gangrene]] or a non-healing wound like what you might have with [[diabetes mellitus]]. Amputation is not done lightly, as there are a host of complications that can arrise, including: - infection - dlayed wound healing - atrophy and contracturers - especially if it's above the joint those muscles are not able to be worked and they can just cement - phantom [[pain]] - this is actually quite common, most amputees experince some form of phantom pain ## Prosthesis **Prosthesis** are tools that can be used by a patient with an amputation to somewhat restore the function of the missing limb. This is really old technology, but it's curretly in a period of rapid improvement (especially in the era of 3D printing). Prosthesis that bear weight must be taken care of properly because they can acutally cause damage really easily otherwise. ___