While prosthetic limbs generally have the same basic components, each device is defined for a specific level and type of amputation.
There is a big difference in the type of device required, depending on whether an amputation is above or below major joints, such as the knee or elbow.
A transfemoral amputation - which is an amputation above the knee -- requires the prosthetic device to have an artificial knee, while a transtibial amputation - which is an amputation below the knee - lets the patient keep his or her own knee.
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