Amputation – the removal or absence of a part of the body. Most common types of amputations occur as a surgical procedure due to trauma (e.g. a motor vehicle accident) or an underlying medical condition (e.g. gangrene as a result of diabetes). Amputations can occur in both lower and upper extremities as well as single digits. Some cases are congenital (e.g. a child is born without a part of an extremity). The effects are permanent.