Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventive surgery for such problems. A special case is that of congenital amputation, a congenital disorder, where fetal limbs have been cut off by constrictive bands. In some countries, amputation is currently used to punish people who commit crimes. Amputation has also been used as a tactic in war and acts of terrorism; it may also occur as a war injury. In some cultures and religions, minor amputations or mutilations are considered a ritual accomplishment. When done by a person, the person executing the amputation is an amputator. The oldest evidence of this practice comes from a skeleton found buried in Liang Tebo cave, East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo dating back to at least 31,000 years ago, where it was done when the amputee was a young child.
In medicine, a prosthesis, or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth. Prostheses are intended to restore the normal functions of the missing body part. Amputee rehabilitation is primarily coordinated by a physiatrist as part of an inter-disciplinary team consisting of physiatrists, prosthetists, nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Prostheses can be created by hand or with computer-aided design (CAD), a software interface that helps creators design and analyze the creation with computer-generated 2-D and 3-D graphics as well as analysis and optimization tools.
The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in the world in major education publications. The university presently has three campuses in the mainland of Lagos. Whereas two of its campuses are located at Yaba, it's college of medicine is located at Idi-Araba, Surulere. Its main campus is largely surrounded by the Lagos lagoon and has 802 acres of land. The University of Lagos currently admits over 9,000 undergraduate students annually and enrolls over 57,000 students.
Richard Eyimofe Evans Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, is a Nigerian actor, writer, producer, lawyer, and former journalist. He was also a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State in 2009. In 2005, he won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2016.
Globacom Limited, commonly known as Glo, is a Nigerian multinational telecommunications company founded on 29 August 2003 by Mike Adenuga. As of June 2018, the company employs more than 3,500 people worldwide.
Cameron Clapp is an American athlete. As a triple amputee, he has become a motivational speaker, mentor to young amputees, and amputee activist. He is also an actor.
Therdchai Jivacate is a Thai orthopedic surgeon and inventor known for his humanitarian activities in providing free prosthetic limbs to impoverished amputees, and for his development of techniques allowing low-cost, high-quality prostheses to be made from local materials. The activities of the Prostheses Foundation, which he founded in 1992 under royal sponsorship from the Princess Mother Srinagarindra, have expanded beyond the borders of Thailand to Malaysia, Laos, and Burma. Jivacate has established Thailand's first and only educational institution of occupational therapy at Chiang Mai University. He has also created an educational programme for children suffering from chronic diseases at Maharaj Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima. In 2008, he was given the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service.
Amy Palmiero-Winters is a below-knee amputee who currently holds eleven world records in various events. In 2010, she was awarded the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States and the ESPN ESPY Award as the top female athlete with a disability in the world.
T42 is a disability sport classification for disability athletics, applying to athletes with single above the knee amputations or a disability that is comparable. This class includes ISOD classified A2 and A9 competitors.
T43 is a disability sport classification for disability athletics, applying to athletes with "Double below knee amputation or similar disability." It includes ISOD classified athletes from the A4 and A9 classes.
Ukraine Prosthetic Assistance Project is a project that aims at improving prosthetics and rehabilitation services in Ukraine through global exchange among the field specialists.
Belinda "Bella" Ajoke Olubunmi Disu is a Nigerian businesswoman. She is the Chairman, Board of Directors Abumet Nigeria Limited, Executive Vice Chairman of Globacom, CEO of Cobblestone Properties and Estates Limited, and a non-executive director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc
Kareem Waris Olamilekan, also known as Waspa is a Nigerian hyperrealism artist and art prodigy.
Adenike Dasola Oyetunde-Lawal, professionally known as Adenike Oyetunde is a Nigerian media personality, radio host, author, lawyer, social media influencer and life coach. She is the founder of Amputees United Initiative and The Gratitude Hub. In 2021, she was appointed by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the senior special assistant on persons living with disability.
Hauwa Ojeifo is a Nigerian sexual violence and mental health activist. She is known to be the first Nigerian female to have received a Queen's Young Leader Award for her work.
Jeff Bourns is an American amputee tennis player who helped pioneer the growth and development of Adaptive Standing Tennis.
Spencer West is an American motivational speaker and disability advocate. West became an amputee after being born with sacral agenesis. He speaks about overcoming adversity and uses social media to advocate for the disability justice movement and the LGBT community.
Mandy Horvath is a Colorado based American bi-lateral above knee amputee, creative writer, public speaker, actress and mountaineer. She is notable as the first female bi-lateral amputee to summit the Manitou Incline, Pikes Peak (twice), the Statue of Liberty stairwell to the crown, and Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, without the use of prosthetic equipment- using her arms and hands to crawl. Her successful ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro also awards her title of the first legless woman to summit one of the world's Eight Summits without the aid of prosthetic equipment.
The Irede Foundation (TIF) is a foundation established in 2012 by Crystal Chigbu to educate Nigerians on congenital and acquired limb loss, also on how to associate with and care for children with this kind of loss. The foundation provides free and subsidized artificial limbs for children who cannot afford them. They focus on children within the ages of 0–18 years. The foundation has its laboratory in Lagos for assembling prosthetics. The foundation was named the humanitarian foundation of the year in 2017 by Green October Event 2017.
James Inedu-George is a Nigerian architect, designer, painter and writer. He is the founding partner and Design Head at HTL Africa Ltd, Tao South Africa and HTL Asia Plus.
