Brandt van Soolen RC 522 Amputation Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Amputation Amputation is the term used to describe the partial or complete loss of a portion of the body. Depending on the reason for amputation, it can impact activities, functions, and psychosocial adjustment. Although the term amputation is commonly associated with the loss of an extremity, it is also used to categorize the loss of other body parts (e.g. an earlobe or parts of the nose from frostbite). Amputation can result from trauma or it may be a surgically procedure utilized in the management of other conditions (e.g. amputating toes or the whole foot in the management of diabetes). Moreover, amputation is also the term to describe an absence of limbs at birth (e.g. born with nine toes; born without legs, etc.) (Falvo & Holland, 2018). There are several diverse causes of amputation. Traumatic amputation describes the loss of a portion of the body as a result of a sudden and severe trauma (e.g., getting an ear, or …show more content…
Environmental material such as sand, dust, and dirt can exacerbate skin in contact with the prosthetic and impeded the functionality of the individual. Specifically, for people with lower extremity amputations, some physical demanding jobs that require repeated climbing, pushing, and walking should be evaluated and altered as necessary. Consideration for the increased energy required to manipulate a prosthetic device may also be considered as part of the physical demands of the vocation. One final vocational consideration, that is also psychosocial, is that individuals with upper extremity amputations may have a greater need to consider the cosmetics of the prosthetic. Nevertheless, the specific tasks required of the job (e.g., heavy lifting) must also be considered (Falvo & Holland,