Amputation Levels

Amputation is identified by which joint or long bone has been amputated.

  • Above knee (AKA): transfemoral
  • Below knee (BKA): transtibial
  • Below ankle: transmetatarsal
  • Above elbow: transhumeral
  • Below elbow: transradial
  • Below wrist: transmetacarpal

Disarticulation: across a joint such as hip, wrist, elbow, or shoulder

OT Dude Rant: A lot of old school doctors, nurses, therapists may refer to the residual limb as a stump. The current accepted term is residual limb. If you see this in your documentation or hear your co-workers say “stump”, kindly correct them with education!