General considerations on upper limb amputation and its levels

Abstract

Amputation describes the loss of a body part due to injury or disease, most commonly referring to the loss of a limb. Millions of people worldwide are currently living with amputation of the upper extremity [25]. Since trauma is the leading cause, especially young people are affected, often suffering from severe impairments of their working status and independence in daily life [11, 19]. Prosthetic replacement aims to restore the various functions of the lost hand-a task which becomes increasingly challenging with ascending level of limb loss.