Academy Society Spotlight: Considering Amputation to Gain Function

While the percentage of upper-limb amputations is small compared to lower-limb amputations, injuries to the upper limb account for almost one-fifth of emergency room visits.¹ Injury to the upper limb also has a higher impact on the individual’s overall function. For example, according to American Medical Association guidelines, loss of a lower limb at the hip disarticulation level accounts for about a 40 percent impairment while loss of all fingers and the thumb is equivalent to a 54 percent whole-person impairment.² While our lower limbs get us to where we want to go, our upper limbs are what allow us to interact with our environment. Our hands are used to communicate as well as to perform work and recreational activities, and they are an important part of how we define ourselves.