Elbow disarticulation refers to which surgical procedure?

• A. Surgical removal at shoulder
• B. Removal of hand only
• C. Complete arm reconstruction
• D. Surgical removal of the lower arm and hand through the elbow joint

Answer: (D)

Elbow disarticulation is amputation through the elbow joint, meaning the forearm and hand are removed while the upper arm remains intact. The cut occurs at the level of the elbow, so the residual limb is the upper arm with the elbow region at its end. This matches the description of surgically removing the lower arm and hand through the elbow joint.

This is different from removing at the shoulder (shoulder disarticulation), removing only the hand, or attempting a reconstruction of the entire arm. The key idea is the level of amputation being at the elbow joint itself.