Explanations of Some of the Terms you may have Heard

We've compiled a glossary of some of the terms you might have heard along your travels.

A Suction Silicone Suspension- Utilizes a silicone sleeve with a locking pin to suspend prosthesis.

To move away from the midline of the body.

To move towards the midline of the body.

Position of a prosthetic socket in relation to foot and knee.

Removal of all or part of a limb due to infection, injury, tumor, disease, or trauma.

The front of an organism, the ventral surface.

A person who has had all or part of a limb removed/amputated or is born without a limb.

Reduction in size or wasting away of an organ or cell resulting from disease or inactivity .

The bones of the skull, vertebral column, thorax, and sternum.

Below elbow amputee.

Bi means both, meaning both sides.

Below the knee amputee.

Pertaining to the arm.

Small sac filled with fluid and located at friction points, especially joints.

One of the eight bones of the wrist.

White, semiopaque connective tissue.

Referring to the neck.

Amputation of approximately 2/3 of the foot.

Rounded projection at the end of a bone that articulates with another bone.

When all or part of limb(s) do not develop normally in the womb or are missing .

Opposite; acting in unison with a similar part on the opposite side of the body.

Longitudinal plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior parts.

Pertaining to the hip.

Pertaining to the leg.

Limb is amputated through the joint.

Further away from the center of the body. (your foot is distal to your knee)

Removing the prosthesis.

Putting the prosthesis on.

Flexion of a joint in the direction of the dorsum of the body part. Often used with reference to the foot or hand.

Swelling of the tissues. (also spelled oedema)

A prosthesis which typically uses a pylon (tube) to support the weight of the amputee. This prosthesis is typically covered with soft foam and nylon.

Pertaining to the thigh.

Functional Electrical Stimulation, use of electrodes on the skin or implanted in orthoses to stimulate muscles and recruit stronger contractions or train patients to activate certain muscle groups.

Bending; the movement that decreases the angle between bones.

The repeated reciprocal movement of the upper and lower limbs in a recurring manner during walking from heel strike of a given foot until the next heel strike of the same foot .

Refers to the force that the ground exerts back on the foot during gait. It can be resolved in two components including the vertical, as result of body weight, and a horizontal, the result of the body's inertial force.

Posterior thigh muscles; the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus.

Paralysis of one side of the body.

Below normal tone or tension.

Below normal tone or tension.

Pertaining to a position near the tail end of the long axis of the body.

Having a uniform tension; of the same tone.

Away from the midline of the body.

A cord of fibrous tissue that connects bones.

Toward the midline of the body.

Line passes directly through the center of the body and divides it into equal right and left regions. Also known as the Median plane, which is a vertical plane drawn from front to back of the body at right angles to the frontal and transverse planes.

Sustained partial contraction of a muscle in response to stretch receptor inputs.

Progressive disorder marked by atrophy and stiffness of the muscles.

Attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during muscular contraction.

The design, fabrication, and fitting of devices that provide external support or assist weak or abnormal joints and/or muscles.

Increased softening of the bone resulting from a gradual decrease in rate of bone formation; a common condition in older people.

Paralysis of the lower limbs.

Double-layered connective tissue that covers and nourishes the bone.

Pertaining to the lateral aspect of the leg.

Pertaining to the sole of the foot.

Flexion of the ankle joint in the direction of the plantar surface of the foot.

The inward rotation of the forearm causing the radius to cross diagonally over the ulna - palms face posteriorly.

Artificial replacement of a limb or other body part.

Closer to the origin of a limb. (your knee is proximal to your foot)

Patellar Tendon Bearing - A BK socket design which supports much of the weight through the patellar tendon under the kneecap.

The paralysis of all four limbs.

Restoring broken bone ends (or a dislocated bone) to its original position.

The remaining part of the limb after amputation. (the stump)

The lower portion of the back, just superior to the buttocks.

The part of the prosthesis (artificial limb) that fits around the residual limb.

A socket on an artificial leg that is held to the residual limb by the suction of negative pressure maintained within the socket.

Refers to the head or upper body regions.

The outward rotation of the forearm causing palms to face anteriorly.

Amputation of all but one of the foot bones.

Total contact between the limb and socket at all points.

Amputation of approximately 1/2 of the foot.

Plane that divides the body or its parts into superior and inferior portions.

Upper extremity or limb.

Frontal plane deformity of a joint in which the distal segment angulates away from the midline.

Frontal plane deformity of a joint in which the distal segment angulates in the direction of the midline.