Terminology: What is all of this medical jargon?

Did you ever wonder what the words meant when you looked at your medical records? Or when you were talking to someone in the medical field and they forgot to use layman's terms. I want to make sure that you have some of the vocabulary down so that you can also better advocate for yourself. 

Residual Limb: This is the remaining portion of your arm or leg following an amputation.

Transtibial Amputation: This is an amputation of the leg below the knee but above the ankle

Knee Disarticulation: This is an amputation of the leg through the knee joint, leaving none of the leg from the knee down

Transfemoral Amputation: This is an amputation of the leg above the knee but below the hip 

Hip Disarticulation: This is an amputation of the leg at the hip joint, leaving none of the leg from the hip down.

Liner: This is the first part of the leg donned before you put on socks or your socket

Socket: Hard outer portion that contains the residual limb (in the picture below it is the flesh tone portion)

Flexible Inner Socket: In most prosthetic devices it is between the socket and your leg. Most of the flexible inner liner come out to help adjust for sock ply, for those days when your leg is swollen and you don't have socks on. (in the picture above it is the clear layer, though often it can be white)

Pylon: Is the section of metal pole that connects your socket to the next mechanical joint, it could above and below the knee or just below the knee depending on the level of your amputation. (below are two different examples of transtibial prosthetic legs, the one on the R has a long pylon and the one of the left has a very short pylon near the bottom or distal end of the socket)

Proximal: It is the portion of your closer to your center or point of attachment to your body. 

            Example: Your shoulder is proximal to your elbow.

Distal: This is the opposite of proximal and is the portion of you further from your center or point of attachment to your body. 

            Example: Your fingers are distal to your wrist.

Medial: This is the part of the body closest to midline or center of the body. 

            Example: The big toe is medial to the little toe.

Lateral: This is the opposite of medial and the side furthest from midline or center of the body.

Phantom Limb Sensation: This is when you feel numbness or tingling, itching, or any other sensation that is not pain extending below/distal to the level of the amputation.

Phantom Limb Pain: Any pain that extends below/distal to the level of the amputation. 

Neuroma: a very specific area of pain, sometimes a nodule or small ball like structure can be felt with palpation. This is where one of the cut ends of a nerve have "balled" up and may include some scar tissue creating a very tender area that can make wearing a prosthesis painful.

Hopefully you have found information to take away some of the mystery that medical language creates and if you have any questions regarding other words that maybe I should have included please comment with those and I will include in a new post or update this one.

Thank you for your time and may the next step in your journey bring you further success.