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Posted on: Wed, May 14 2008 9:22 AM

Posted by: halftrack Posts: 21

 PC says to call it a residual limb, but I just call it a stump.

If you cut a tree down, what's left in the ground is the stump.  If you do a pneumonectomy and close off a mainstem bronchus, it's called a stump.  If you do an appendectomy, the cut end sutured closest to the cecum is called the stump.  It goes on and on. 

People get too hung up on this stuff.  If your patient calls it a stump, follow suit.  If they want to call it a residual limb, do likewise.

Posted on: Wed, May 14 2008 9:40 AM

Posted by: ducky01 Posts: 153

House:

For all amputees, I would really appreciate your input on a topic about "what to call it".  During my residency in Rehab we were told that we should no longer refer to someones "remaining leg or arm" as a "stump", but instead we should refer to it as a "residual limb".  I used "residual limb", but patients would come in and tell me to called it a stump.  Now some may say that we should not talk about it as something separate, but we as physicians do have to address this area of the anatomy because we are talking about specifics such as phantom sensation, pain, skin problems, etc.

What does everyone perfer? Have you had a doc say residual limb?

I just call mine "Nubby."  Okay, seriously, I'm new to this, but I have heard both terms used. The first time I heard "residual limb," in reference to my own leg, I said, "You mean my stump?"  My own doctor just refers to Nubby as my leg, and when I am speaking seriously, so do I.  The only part that does not work is, obviously, the part that is NOT THERE, so the rest of it is a leg, as it is functional.  I suppose it may be a good idea to find out what the patient prefers you to call the leg - maybe use the question as an ice breaker? "Do you call your limb a residual limb, a stump, or 'that thing on the end of my leg?'"  Okay, maybe not that last part if you have someone who is particularly sensitive or has no sense of humor.  

hugs from ducky

-P.S. love the name (House, MD is a favorite program) 

Posted on: Fri, May 16 2008 6:22 PM

Posted by: Misin1 Posts: 13

djami - how ya doing?  Ahh a fellow crutcher.  I have been stickin it around for 20 years now.  I feel like a minority in the amputee world.  People assume I can't afford a leg or never thought of it.  Oh I've thought of it but have opted to not use one.  Well, for now. 

Posted on: Thu, May 22 2008 4:23 PM

Posted by: newdawn Posts: 105

Hi Doc,

In the UK it is referred to as both by prosthetists, surgeons and doctors dealing with you.  Residual limb causes little confusion purely because there is no argument as to what is being talked about.  It is simply that...the bit you have left as a limb!!  Stump is often used between lesser medically 'qualified' folk like friends, family and ourselves as amputees.  Hope this helps!

Posted on: Fri, May 23 2008 7:23 PM

Posted by: swisswuff Posts: 55

Stump (German: Stumpf) and without doubt, blunt words to describe naked facts are the ones to use.

I use "damaged arm", "my arm" or "end of my arm" for grammatical variation only. 

Verbal nitpicking seems of no particular use - in my view, the real damage is not so much in labelling the stump(s) as such.  The real damage is all that surrounds the extremity loss.

Posted on: Fri, May 23 2008 9:03 PM

Posted by: ErgoMan Posts: 27

I happen to call both mine "stumps". I have cut off sweat pants that are sewn shut at the end and i call them shwartz (sweat shorts).  Don't ask me why.......that's just what I call them.  It's your body so call it, them whatever you want.  We have nicknames for all kinds of things.....so why should this be any different.