Amputer, une opération pas si simple : comment trancher ?

The term “amputation” has several meanings that need to be clarified in view of the various interpretative consequences. In the sense in which it is commonly understood, amputation is a surgical operation which seems all the more complex because it is carried out today by specialists in an aseptic environment. This act has been practiced since prehistoric times, under conditions that are probably far from those presented as necessary today. It responds to a medical logic which, in archaeology, is most often a finding whose cause remains undetermined. In addition, the question of the modus operandi comes up against too much incomplete information at first sight, despite the elements of the osteological diagnosis of the section. This is why a methodical examination of each case, according to a multidisciplinary approach, remains essential.