Disarticulation is the separation of bones at a joint, resulting in limb amputation without breaking or cutting bones. It can be surgical or due to injury, and is preferred for some amputations as it preserves more muscle and nerve tissue for prosthetic control. Disarticulation can also occur due to rare conditions or self-inflicted harm.
In medical science, disarticulation refers to the accidental or surgical separation of the bones at a joint, resulting in the amputation of a limb, without any breaking or cutting of the bones. It can be the result of an injury or it can be done surgically. This is different from a fracture, which can result in the loss of a body part due to a broken bone, or joint dislocation, which is the displacement of a joint without complete bony separation and the resulting loss of a limb. For some surgical amputations, disarticulation is the preferred amputation method because it improves healing, leaves more muscle and nerve tissue for prosthetic control, and makes inserting a prosthesis easier. Amputations, including disarticulations, are one of the oldest medical procedures known to have been performed by humans.
An amputation often involves many parts of the musculoskeletal system, sometimes called the locomotor system. This system is made up of bones, muscles, joints, and other connective tissue that holds the body together and makes physical movement possible. The most common form of disarticulation is surgical amputation, when surgeons cut through skin, ligaments, joints, muscles, and other connective tissue to remove a limb, without cutting through the bone itself. Disarticulation is often the preferred method for amputations performed at the wrist, knee, and elbow, and is occasionally used at the hip joint.
Disarticulation amputation has several advantages over cutting bone. For example, it results in less blood loss and usually provides skin flaps that can cover the wound after surgery, improving healing and reducing the risk of infection. The disarticulation also preserves more muscle and nerve tissue which can make it easier to control the future prosthesis. In many cases, the preserved bone and joint also provide a better and more stable fit for the prosthesis. For knee amputation, this type of procedure will result in the preservation of part of the knee joint, providing a stump that can support more weight than if the bone had been cut.
Injuries to the musculoskeletal system can also result in disarticulation, but this is relatively rare. In rare cases, disarticulation and amputation can be self-inflicted, such as following deliberate self-mutilation, or in cases where a limb has been trapped in an accident. Those suffering from the rare apotemnophilia feel obliged to amputate one or more limbs, even if these are healthy. Acrotomophilia involves sexual attraction to amputees and is sometimes confused with apothemnophilia.
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