In this Section:

• Dealing With Amputations
  • Advantages
  • Challenges
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Outreach & Education
  • Prosthetics
    • Adaptive
    • Comfort
    • Driving
    • Myoelectric
    • Passive
    • Static

Other Sections:

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

Dealing With Amputations:
Prosthetics: Static

Static prosthetics do not use electricity to allow the prosthetic device to bend and move. Static prosthetics have been around for centuries. A traditional peg leg, familiar in pirate movies, for example, is a static prosthetic. Another kind of prosthetic can be used for the upper body extremities. At the end of this prosthetic is a set of hooks, rather then a hand. This prosthetic slides over the arm. There is also a harness that straps over the shoulder. The patient may open and close the hooks by moving their shoulder. This allows an amputee to grab different items. This process may be very difficult for an amputee. A person must have excellent hand-eye coordination in order to use this prosthetic. Sometimes this prosthetic is uncomfortable since the strap may cut into the skin. Static prosthetics have the most basic design, although they may not be the easiest to use.

Static Prosthetic