| AE |
Above elbow amputee. |
| AFO |
Ankle Foot Orthosis. A device that encases the lower leg and foot in order to stabilize or control the motion. Looks like a huge orthotic with a leg component. |
| AK |
Above knee amputee. Sometimes modified with an R or L, to indicate right or left. |
| BE |
Below elbow amputee. |
| Bilateral |
Referring to R/L matching injuries or amputations. |
| Bi-ski |
A sit-ski with two parallel skis for stability. Often the ski appears to be a split snowboard. Usually used with two outriggers. |
| BK |
Below knee amputee. Sometimes modified with an R or L, indicating which side the amputation is on. |
| Chair |
A wheelchair. |
| Congenital |
A condition present at birth. |
| Cosmesis |
The covering of a prosthesis that makes it look lifelike. |
| Disarticulation |
An amputation through a joint. |
| Hemiplegic |
A person with an impairment in motor and/or sensory function of one side of the body. |
| Incomplete |
Used in conjunction with paraplegic or quadriplegic indicating the partial loss of limb use. An incomplete paraplegic may, for example, have the ability to stand or ambulate. |
| Mono-ski |
An advanced sit-ski with a single ski and advanced mono-shock suspension system. Provides the most maneuverability and speed. Requires good balance and skill. Used with two outriggers. |
| Outrigger |
A ski-pole or Canadian crutch modified with a very short ski on the end for lateral stability while using a sit-ski or while three-tracking. |
| Paraplegic |
A “para”. A person with an impairment in motor and/or sensory function of the lower extremities. It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition. |
| Poly-trauma |
Multiple injuries sustained simultaneously. |
| Prosthesis |
A device used to replicate the function of a missing body part. Synonym = prosthetic. |
| PTSD |
Post traumatic stress disorder. A psychological disorder affecting individuals who have experienced or witnessed profoundly traumatic events characterized by recurrent flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, and social withdrawal. |
| Pylon |
That portion of the prosthesis which connects the socket to the knee or foot. |
| Quadriplegic |
A “quad”. A person with an impairment in motor and/or sensory function of all four limbs. It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition. |
| Sit-ski |
A ski, or skis, modified with a seat for skiers with lower extremity disabilities. The seat is attached with some sort of shock absorbing suspension system. |
| Socket |
That portion of prosthesis that fits the stump and to which prosthetic components are attached. |
| Suspension |
The method used to attach a limb prosthesis to the stump. |
| TBI |
Traumatic Brain Injury also called acquired brain injury or simply head injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. |
| Three-tracking |
The name for the method that an AK will use to ski. She uses a single traditional ski on her real leg and two outriggers, thus leaving 3 tracks. |
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Credit: Paradox Sports |
