Amputation

A man who has had both arms amputated

Amputation is the act of cutting off a part of the human body, sometimes because of medical reasons. In some countries, amputation of the hands, feet or other body parts was used as a form of punishment for people who committed crimes. A person who has had an arm or leg removed is known as an amputee.

Amputation Media

Diagram showing an above knee amputation.
Partial amputation of index finger.
Transfemoral amputation due to liposarcoma
Three fingers from a soldier's right hand were traumatically amputated during World War I.
Curved knives such as this one were used, in the past, for some kinds of amputations.
Amputation of the leg of First Lieutenant Antônio Carlos de Mariz e Barros, commander of the Brazilian Battleship Tamandaré (Henrique Fleiuss, Semana Illustrada, 1866).

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