Chapter 7: Moving and positioning
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Moving and positioning a patient with an amputation
Definition
Amputation refers to the loss of part of a limb or an entire limb. The different types and levels of amputation are shown in Figure 7.38. Vascular disease is the most common cause of amputation in contemporary healthcare but it can also be the result of trauma or congenital deficiency, and may be performed in the management of some malignancies, such as extremity sarcoma (Richardson [108], Virani et al. [127]).
Figure 7.38 Levels of amputation in the upper and lower limbs.
