Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Limb Loss
People can lose all or part of an arm or leg for many reasons. Common ones include:
- Problems with the flow of blood through your body. These may be the result of atherosclerosis or diabetes. Severe cases may result in amputation (the surgical removal of a limb).
- Injuries, including from traffic accidents and military combat.
- Cancer.
- Birth defects.
Some amputees have phantom pain, which is the feeling of pain in the missing limb. Other physical problems include surgical complications and skin problems if you wear an artificial limb. Many amputees use an artificial limb. Learning how to use it takes time. Physical therapy can help you adapt.
Recovery from the loss of a limb can be hard. Sadness, anger, and frustration are common. If you are having a tough time, talk to your health care provider. Treatment with medicine or counseling can help.
It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Limb Loss
392 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Functional and Neuroprotective Effects of Restoring Lower Limb Sensation After Diabetic Peripheral NeuropathyVA Office of Research and Development
- Effect of Dual-Task Training on Balance and Fall Risk in Lower Limb Amputees Using ProsthesisKafrelsheikh University
- Improving Prosthetic Arms for Amputee: A Better Fit and More FunctionalityVA Office of Research and Development
- Dual-Task Balance Training in Traumatic Lower-Limb Prosthesis UsersAl-Azhar University - Gaza
- Peripheral Interfaces in Amputees for Sensorimotor IntegrationVA Office of Research and Development
- PNS to Improve Vascular Function and Limb Health in VeteransVA Office of Research and Development
Research already completed
- Effect of Balance Exercises on Performance in Amputee Football PlayersIstanbul Rumeli University
- Effect of Motor Imagery Ability on Functionality and Proprioception in Amputees Using Myoelectric Prostheses"Medipol University
- Innovative Prosthetic Systems for Pediatric Limb Loss to Accommodate GrowthUniversity of Pennsylvania
- Motor Imagery for Prosthetic Gait Training in Transtibial AmputeesAriel University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- First Step -- A Guide for Adapting to Limb LossAmputee Coalition
- Points to Know and Consider When Preparing for and Undergoing an AmputationAmputee Coalition
Treatments and Therapies
- Care of Your Wounds After Amputation SurgeryAmputee Coalition
Prevention and Risk Factors
- AmputationsOccupational Safety and Health Administration
- Diabetic Complications and Amputation PreventionAmerican College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
Living With
- Beginning Your New Journey: Above Knee AmputationAmputee Coalition
- Beginning Your New Journey: Below Knee AmputationAmputee Coalition
- Beginning Your New Journey: Upper-Limb AmputationAmputee Coalition
- Emotional RecoveryAmputee Coalition
- Rehabilitation after Limb AmputationMerck & Co., Inc.
- When a Parent Loses a Limb: Helping Children CopeAmputee Coalition
Related Issues
- Arm, Hand, and Finger ReplantationAmerican Society for Surgery of the Hand
- Residual Limb PainMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Wound Care: Preventing InfectionAmputee Coalition
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: AmputationNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Amputation, TraumaticNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: AmputeesNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Artificial LimbsNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Phantom LimbNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Amputees. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Limb Loss, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.