Glossary
The following terms are relevant to hand/arm transplantation and upper limb amputation. Some of the terms, but not all, are used on this website.
Abduction
The motion of a limb or body part out and away from the middle of the body.
Acquired Amputation
The removal of a limb due to disease or trauma.
Acupuncture
A treatment that involves pricking the skin or tissues with thin needles to relieve some health conditions and symptoms, such as pain.
Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
Routine actions done to live and thrive, such as eating, bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom.
Acute Rejection
When the body tries to attack the transplanted hand or arm because the hand or arm is viewed as a foreign object. Rejection often shows up on the skin first, as a rash. Acute rejection usually happens in the first year after transplant.
Adverse Effect
A health problem caused by a drug or therapy that was not expected. Adverse effects can be mild, moderate, or severe.
Adduction
The motion of a limb or body part towards the middle of the body.
Alignment
The position of the socket relative to the other prosthetic parts of the limb.
Alternative Therapy
A treatment that is not part of Western medicine.
Amputation
When an arm or leg is removed because of injury or disease.
Anesthesiologist
A doctor who is trained to give medicines that put people to sleep during surgery.
Antibodies
Proteins that the immune system uses to fight bacteria and other foreign bodies, such as a new limb.
Anti-Rejection Medication
Drugs that prevent or treat organ rejection. (Also see Immunosuppressive Medication)
Assistive Device
A tool that helps you perform daily activities.
Atrophy
When muscle size and strength wither, often due to lack of use of those muscles.
Bilateral
Refers to both the left and right sides of the body together.
Biopsy
A small piece of tissue removed from the body that is used to test for disease, damage, or health of the tissue.
Body Image
Someone’s thoughts and feelings about how their body looks and moves.
Body-Powered Prosthesis (Upper Extremity)
A prosthetic arm powered by shoulder, neck, and back muscle movement.
Care Coordinator
A health care provider who organizes care for patients with many health needs.
Chronic Graft Degradation (cGVHD)
Occurs when a transplant causes infections and other problems over 100 days after the transplant.
Compliance/Adherence
To follow medical instructions, such as doctor’s orders to take all medicines at the right times.
Components
The different parts that make up a prosthesis.
Contracture
When tissues and muscles tighten or shorten, and motion is limited.
Corticosteroid
Medication used to keep the body’s immune system from fighting the transplant. Doctors use these to prevent rejection.
Desensitization
Treatment method to make a body part less sensitive to certain sensations.
Disarticulation
Amputation of a limb at the joint, without cutting bone.
Distal End
The part of the stump furthest from the body.
Acquired Amputation
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Gear such as crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, reachers, bidets, or altered tools that patients use at home.
Edema
Swelling caused by fluid in body tissues.
Electromyography (EMG)
A process that tests muscle and nerve control to measure progress after transplant.
Functional
Working in a way that you think is normal.
Globulin
Proteins in the blood that play a role in the immune system.
Graft
A transplanted organ or tissue.
Histology
The study of tissues and cells under a microscope.
Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) Matching
When blood or tissue samples are tested for HLAs. HLAs are molecules found on most cells in the body and make up a person’s tissue type. HLAs also affect how the body's immune system responds to a transplant. HLA matching is done before an organ transplant to find out if tissues match, or are similar, between the donor and the recipient.
Hybrid Prosthesis
More than one prosthetic option blended into one prosthesis.
Immunomodulation
A substance that affects the function of the body's immune system.
Immunosuppressive Medication
Medicines that prevent or treat rejection of the transplant. (Also see Anti-Rejection Medication)
Inflammation
When a body part swells up, gets hot, and turns red in response to infection or injury.
Level of Amputation
The site on the limb where an amputation occurs. For example, the site may be above or below the elbow.
Mirror Therapy
The use of a mirror to make an illusion of one’s missing limb. This helps to trick the brain to prevent phantom limb pain.
Myoelectric Prosthetic
A prosthesis controlled by electric signals from the limb muscles that remain.
Neuroma
When a nerve cut during amputation forms a mass of nerve endings and often causes pain.
Occupational Therapist (OT)
A professional who works with people who have trouble doing daily activities and helps them learn new ways to perform these tasks. They provide prosthetic training and help with social, emotional, and mental health issues.
Orthopedic Surgeon
A surgeon who treats problems with bones, joints, tendons, and muscles through surgery.
Orthotic
A device used to help a person move, heal, or reduce pain in a part of their body.
Orthotist
A healthcare provider who measures and fits orthotics.
Perfusion
The movement of a liquid (blood or other) through organs or tissues. Organs are perfused with cold fluid to prepare them for transplant.
Phantom Limb Pain (PLP)
The feeling of pain or discomfort in the place of a missing limb.
Phantom Sensation
A feeling that the missing limb is still there.
Physiatrist
A doctor who has special training in physical medicine. These doctors help to prevent and treat disease or injury with exercise and machines.
Acquired Amputation
Physical Therapist (PT) A healthcare provider who treats people who have problems that make it hard to move and do activities. They may use exercise, massage, hot packs, or ice to relieve pain and improve movement. They also teach exercises to help prevent injury and loss of motion.
Polytrauma
When a person has an injury to many body parts or organs.
Posterior
The back side of the body.
Proprioception
The sense of being aware of the body’s position in space.
Prosthetic/Prosthesis
A device used to replace an absent or deficient part of a limb segment. The device can be used for functional and cosmetic reasons.
Prosthetist
A healthcare provider who makes and fits artificial limbs for people. They make artificial legs and arms for people who have had amputations.
Psychosocial Factors
Social and psychological factors that affect a person.
Range of Motion (ROM)
The amount of movement a limb has in a range of directions.
Rehabilitation
The process to restore health and function for people affected by disease or injury.
Rescue Therapy/Treatment
Therapy given when the usual treatment no longer works and there are few treatment options.
Residual Limb (also Residuum)
The part of your limb that remains after amputation—also called the “stump.”
Revision Surgery
Surgery on the residual limb.
Rigid Dressing
Wrapping over the residual limb after surgery to reduce pain.
Rehabilitation
Socioeconomic Factors A person’s income, wealth, education, employment, and experiences based on race/ethnicity that affect their well-being.
Sensation
The ability to feel pain, heat and cold, and identify objects by touch.
Sentinel Flap
A small graft of skin, muscle tissue, and vessels from the donor that is placed on a less noticeable part of the body (e.g., groin or chest) of the recipient. This is done to monitor for transplant rejection, and to make it easier to perform biopsies.
Sepsis
The body’s strong response to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Shoulder Disarticulation (SD)
An amputation through the shoulder joint.
Soft Compression Dressing
Bandage used to compress and reduce swelling of the limb.
Solid Organ
Organs such as the kidney, liver, heart, and lung.
Split Hooks
Devices with two hook-shaped fingers that allow people with upper limb amputations to use their gripping function.
Stump
The residual limb.
Tapping
Touching or patting the residual limb to make it less sensitive.
Topical Medicine
Medicine applied to the skin to treat pain, discomfort, rejection, or protect it from harm. Some medicines applied to the skin treat only the area where it is applied, while others may treat the whole body.
Transhumeral
Amputations that occur below the shoulder and above the elbow.
Transradial
Amputations that occur below the elbow and above the wrist.
Traumatic Amputation
An amputation due to an injury or accident.
Unilateral
Refers to one side of the body.
Upper Extremity/Upper Limb
Refers to the hand, forearm, upper arm, and shoulder.
Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA)
A type of transplant that includes the skin, muscle, bone, blood vessels, nerves, and tissues as a unit.
Wrist Disarticulation (WD)
An amputation through the wrist joint.
The motion of a limb or body part out and away from the middle of the body.
Acquired Amputation
The removal of a limb due to disease or trauma.
Acupuncture
A treatment that involves pricking the skin or tissues with thin needles to relieve some health conditions and symptoms, such as pain.
Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
Routine actions done to live and thrive, such as eating, bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom.
Acute Rejection
When the body tries to attack the transplanted hand or arm because the hand or arm is viewed as a foreign object. Rejection often shows up on the skin first, as a rash. Acute rejection usually happens in the first year after transplant.
Adverse Effect
A health problem caused by a drug or therapy that was not expected. Adverse effects can be mild, moderate, or severe.
Adduction
The motion of a limb or body part towards the middle of the body.
Alignment
The position of the socket relative to the other prosthetic parts of the limb.
Alternative Therapy
A treatment that is not part of Western medicine.
Amputation
When an arm or leg is removed because of injury or disease.
Anesthesiologist
A doctor who is trained to give medicines that put people to sleep during surgery.
Antibodies
Proteins that the immune system uses to fight bacteria and other foreign bodies, such as a new limb.
Anti-Rejection Medication
Drugs that prevent or treat organ rejection. (Also see Immunosuppressive Medication)
Assistive Device
A tool that helps you perform daily activities.
Atrophy
When muscle size and strength wither, often due to lack of use of those muscles.
Bilateral
Refers to both the left and right sides of the body together.
Biopsy
A small piece of tissue removed from the body that is used to test for disease, damage, or health of the tissue.
Body Image
Someone’s thoughts and feelings about how their body looks and moves.
Body-Powered Prosthesis (Upper Extremity)
A prosthetic arm powered by shoulder, neck, and back muscle movement.
Care Coordinator
A health care provider who organizes care for patients with many health needs.
Chronic Graft Degradation (cGVHD)
Occurs when a transplant causes infections and other problems over 100 days after the transplant.
Compliance/Adherence
To follow medical instructions, such as doctor’s orders to take all medicines at the right times.
Components
The different parts that make up a prosthesis.
Contracture
When tissues and muscles tighten or shorten, and motion is limited.
Corticosteroid
Medication used to keep the body’s immune system from fighting the transplant. Doctors use these to prevent rejection.
Desensitization
Treatment method to make a body part less sensitive to certain sensations.
Disarticulation
Amputation of a limb at the joint, without cutting bone.
Distal End
The part of the stump furthest from the body.
Acquired Amputation
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Gear such as crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, reachers, bidets, or altered tools that patients use at home.
Edema
Swelling caused by fluid in body tissues.
Electromyography (EMG)
A process that tests muscle and nerve control to measure progress after transplant.
Functional
Working in a way that you think is normal.
Globulin
Proteins in the blood that play a role in the immune system.
Graft
A transplanted organ or tissue.
Histology
The study of tissues and cells under a microscope.
Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) Matching
When blood or tissue samples are tested for HLAs. HLAs are molecules found on most cells in the body and make up a person’s tissue type. HLAs also affect how the body's immune system responds to a transplant. HLA matching is done before an organ transplant to find out if tissues match, or are similar, between the donor and the recipient.
Hybrid Prosthesis
More than one prosthetic option blended into one prosthesis.
Immunomodulation
A substance that affects the function of the body's immune system.
Immunosuppressive Medication
Medicines that prevent or treat rejection of the transplant. (Also see Anti-Rejection Medication)
Inflammation
When a body part swells up, gets hot, and turns red in response to infection or injury.
Level of Amputation
The site on the limb where an amputation occurs. For example, the site may be above or below the elbow.
Mirror Therapy
The use of a mirror to make an illusion of one’s missing limb. This helps to trick the brain to prevent phantom limb pain.
Myoelectric Prosthetic
A prosthesis controlled by electric signals from the limb muscles that remain.
Neuroma
When a nerve cut during amputation forms a mass of nerve endings and often causes pain.
Occupational Therapist (OT)
A professional who works with people who have trouble doing daily activities and helps them learn new ways to perform these tasks. They provide prosthetic training and help with social, emotional, and mental health issues.
Orthopedic Surgeon
A surgeon who treats problems with bones, joints, tendons, and muscles through surgery.
Orthotic
A device used to help a person move, heal, or reduce pain in a part of their body.
Orthotist
A healthcare provider who measures and fits orthotics.
Perfusion
The movement of a liquid (blood or other) through organs or tissues. Organs are perfused with cold fluid to prepare them for transplant.
Phantom Limb Pain (PLP)
The feeling of pain or discomfort in the place of a missing limb.
Phantom Sensation
A feeling that the missing limb is still there.
Physiatrist
A doctor who has special training in physical medicine. These doctors help to prevent and treat disease or injury with exercise and machines.
Acquired Amputation
Physical Therapist (PT) A healthcare provider who treats people who have problems that make it hard to move and do activities. They may use exercise, massage, hot packs, or ice to relieve pain and improve movement. They also teach exercises to help prevent injury and loss of motion.
Polytrauma
When a person has an injury to many body parts or organs.
Posterior
The back side of the body.
Proprioception
The sense of being aware of the body’s position in space.
Prosthetic/Prosthesis
A device used to replace an absent or deficient part of a limb segment. The device can be used for functional and cosmetic reasons.
Prosthetist
A healthcare provider who makes and fits artificial limbs for people. They make artificial legs and arms for people who have had amputations.
Psychosocial Factors
Social and psychological factors that affect a person.
Range of Motion (ROM)
The amount of movement a limb has in a range of directions.
Rehabilitation
The process to restore health and function for people affected by disease or injury.
Rescue Therapy/Treatment
Therapy given when the usual treatment no longer works and there are few treatment options.
Residual Limb (also Residuum)
The part of your limb that remains after amputation—also called the “stump.”
Revision Surgery
Surgery on the residual limb.
Rigid Dressing
Wrapping over the residual limb after surgery to reduce pain.
Rehabilitation
Socioeconomic Factors A person’s income, wealth, education, employment, and experiences based on race/ethnicity that affect their well-being.
Sensation
The ability to feel pain, heat and cold, and identify objects by touch.
Sentinel Flap
A small graft of skin, muscle tissue, and vessels from the donor that is placed on a less noticeable part of the body (e.g., groin or chest) of the recipient. This is done to monitor for transplant rejection, and to make it easier to perform biopsies.
Sepsis
The body’s strong response to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Shoulder Disarticulation (SD)
An amputation through the shoulder joint.
Soft Compression Dressing
Bandage used to compress and reduce swelling of the limb.
Solid Organ
Organs such as the kidney, liver, heart, and lung.
Split Hooks
Devices with two hook-shaped fingers that allow people with upper limb amputations to use their gripping function.
Stump
The residual limb.
Tapping
Touching or patting the residual limb to make it less sensitive.
Topical Medicine
Medicine applied to the skin to treat pain, discomfort, rejection, or protect it from harm. Some medicines applied to the skin treat only the area where it is applied, while others may treat the whole body.
Transhumeral
Amputations that occur below the shoulder and above the elbow.
Transradial
Amputations that occur below the elbow and above the wrist.
Traumatic Amputation
An amputation due to an injury or accident.
Unilateral
Refers to one side of the body.
Upper Extremity/Upper Limb
Refers to the hand, forearm, upper arm, and shoulder.
Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA)
A type of transplant that includes the skin, muscle, bone, blood vessels, nerves, and tissues as a unit.
Wrist Disarticulation (WD)
An amputation through the wrist joint.