In this Section:

• About Our Project
• Bibliography
• Sitemap

Other Sections:

• Introduction
• About Amputations
• Dealing With Amputations
• Discrimination
• Famous Amputees
• Personal Accounts
• Interactive

Glossary

Americans With Disabilities Act: act that prohibits discrimination relating to employment, barriers in public accommodations, transportation, telecommunications, and government services

Amnion: thin membrane that surrounds the fetus before pregnancy and contains the amniotic fluid

Amniotic Band Syndrome: birth defect caused by an entrapment of limbs or digits in a band while in utero

Amputation: a condition where one suffers the loss of one or more limbs

Angina: any attack of painful spasms characterized by sensations of choking or suffocating

Avulsion injury: amputation or injury where the limb is partially crushed. Some causes of this are heavy machinery and automoblile accidents

Benign: a tumor that is not cancerous

Congenital: from birth

Diabetic Neuropathy: a family of nerve disorders caused by diabetes

Discrimination: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit

Gangrene: death of soft tissue due to obstructed circulation, usually followed by decomposition

Gestation: time from conception of the baby to birth

Glucose: blood sugar

Guillotine injury: also known as sharp amputation; amputation where the limb is severed by a straight edge, like a knife

Improvised Explosive Devices: also known as roadside bombs; used by Iraq

Insulin: secretion of the pancreas that helps glucose diffuse from the blood stream into the cells of the body

Malignant: tumor that is cancerous

Myoelectric prosthetic: prosthetic that allows one to change the position of the prosthetic using batteries and one's muscles

Occupational therapy: therapy where an amputee is taught to develop and perform everyday activities

Pancreas: part of the digestive system that controls the amount of glucose in the blood and produces insulin

Passive prosthetic: prosthetic that is predominantly immovable and used mostly for cosmetic reasons

Phantom pain: pain, itching, tingling, and/or numbness in the place where an amputation has occurred

Physical therapy: therapy that strengthens the area and muscles where a limb was amputated (or affected by injury)

Prosthesis: artificial device that replaces a missing part of the body

Rehabilitation Act of 1973: act whose purpose is to prohibit discrimination by federal programs, schools, employment, building access ability, healthcare, welfare, and social services

Section 504: part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which helps protect people with disabilities in programs that receive funding from the United States Department of Education

Static prosthetic: prosthetic that move without the use of electricity

Trauma: an injury caused to living tissue by an outside force. This can be caused by many things, including automobile accidents.

Ulcers: A lesion of the skin or a mucous membrane such as the lining the stomach that is accompanied by formation of pus and the dealt of the surrounding tissue

Vascular incident: Hardening of the arteries that may lead to amputation