It is obvious to anyone that losing a limb has a devastating impact on a human being, after all we only have 2 legs for stability, and 2 hands for carrying out tasks. Amputations happen every day for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes after a traumatic event a limb has to be amputated because it is too badly damaged to function, or would become a hindrance to the rest of the body. The same is also true of limbs damaged by diseases such as cancer, where damage could spread to the rest of the body. Another scenario is removal of a limb or body part that has not developed properly during childhood, or before birth.

Often it is aftercare that causes the most controversy in amputation cases, with individuals coping very differently. The availability of prosthetic limbs is another talking point, because not only are they very expensive, they are unavailable to many on medical grounds. Doctors assess each patient for suitability, and even those who are eligible may need further surgery in order to prepare their remaining limb or wound site for the added stress of a prosthetic. Traumatic events leading up to or at the time of amputation can affect the recovery of an amputee, and finding a specialist solicitor such as Bolt Burdon Kemp is essential for the future well-being and financial stability of themselves and their family or dependents.

Neuroscientists at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, performed a study in 1998 on the way that limbs are perceived by the brain. Subjects had their right hands hidden behind a screen, and a rubber hand was placed upon the table in front of them alongside their left hand. Then the rubber and left hand were gently brushed with a paint brush. Many claimed that they felt the brush strokes on the rubber hand, and that they could actually feel the rubber hand as if it was their own.

This suggests that the subconscious can “take ownership” of a new prosthetic body part. The common “Phantom Limb” experience, where amputees can still feel sensations in the limb that has been removed, is thought to be connected, possibly as the brain still maintains ownership of the missing body part. The involuntary stimulation of nerve endings left behind can also affect sensation.

Jonnie Peacock (Olympic sprinter) is an excellent example of how well some people can recover mobility and lifestyle after an amputation. At the ages of five, Jonnie contracted meningitis which resulted in the disease killing tissue in his right leg. Jonnie represented the Britain at the 2012 summer Olympics in London and won the 100m T44 final with a time of 10.90 seconds .

His efforts saw Jonnie appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and he has raised the profile of Paralympic sport around the country.

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By Armine Kazaryan
Armenian Medical Network