Misplaced Pages

#609390

58-527: The center of the Morice Line was a 2.5 m high electric fence that ran its entire length. This electric fence carried 5,000 volts and also had barbed wire entanglement on one side. On each side of the fence was a minefield that extended 45 meters to each side. On the Algerian side there was also a patrolled track. The Morice Line was 460 km long along the border with Tunisia and 700 km long along

116-526: A US M14 mine , 29 grams of tetryl is used, while 240 grams of TNT is used in a Russian PMN mine . Anti-personnel blast mines are the most common type and are typically deployed on the surface (hidden by leaves or rocks) or buried under soil at a depth of 10–15 cm. They are activated by pressure, i.e. when the victim steps on them, but it could also be a vehicle driving over them. They were designed for use as area denial weapons . Weapons of this type are supposed to deny opposing military forces access to

174-689: A clinical trial, is Agonist-antagonist Myoneural Interface (AMI). In 1920,  Dr. Janos Ertl Sr. of Hungary , developed the Ertl procedure in order to return a high number of amputees to the work force. The Ertl technique, an osteomyoplastic procedure for transtibial amputation, can be used to create a highly functional residual limb. Creation of a tibiofibular bone bridge provides a stable, broad tibiofibular articulation that may be capable of some distal weight bearing. Several different modified techniques and fibular bridge fixation methods have been used; however, no current evidence exists regarding comparison of

232-400: A huge compressive force upwards, ejecting the mine casing and any soil covering the mine along with it. When the blast wave hits the surface, it quickly transfers the force into the subject's footwear and foot. This results in a massive compression force being applied. In most cases, the victim's foot is blown off by the blast wave. The resulting injuries to a human body depend on the size of

290-432: A limb. In some cases, that individual may take drastic measures to remove the offending appendages, either by causing irreparable damage to the limb so that medical intervention cannot save the limb, or by causing the limb to be severed. In surgery , a guillotine amputation is an amputation performed without closure of the skin in an urgent setting. Typical indications include catastrophic trauma or infection control in

348-414: A mine without any metal components in it cannot be found using a metal detector. The fuze mechanism is designed to set off the detonator , either by striking it with a spring-loaded firing pin , compressing a friction sensitive pyrotechnic composition, or by passing an electric charge through it. Most mines employ a spring-loaded striker that hits a stab detonator when activated by the victim. Typically,

406-476: A much larger charge than blast mines, they can cause severe damage to an unarmoured vehicle which runs directly over one. These mines (such as the Russian POMZ ) are entirely above ground, having a fragmenting warhead mounted on a stake at a suitable height, concealed by vegetation or rubbish and triggered by one or more tripwires . Bounding mines have a small lifting charge that, when activated, launches

464-497: A person has become trapped in a deserted place, with no means of communication or hope of rescue, the victim has amputated their own limb. The most notable case of this is Aron Ralston , a hiker who amputated his own right forearm after it was pinned by a boulder in a hiking accident and he was unable to free himself for over five days. Body integrity identity disorder is a psychological condition in which an individual feels compelled to remove one or more of their body parts, usually

522-409: A prosthesis. Another side effect can be heterotopic ossification , especially when a bone injury is combined with a head injury. The brain signals the bone to grow instead of scar tissue to form, and nodules and other growth can interfere with prosthetics and sometimes require further operations. This type of injury has been especially common among soldiers wounded by improvised explosive devices in

580-509: A skeleton found buried in Liang Tebo cave, East Kalimantan , Indonesian Borneo dating back to at least 31,000 years ago, where it was done when the amputee was a young child. Lower limb amputations can be divided into two broad categories: minor and major amputations. Minor amputations generally refer to the amputation of digits . Major amputations are commonly below-knee- or above-knee amputations. Common partial foot amputations include

638-507: A specific area. While blast mines are designed to cause severe injury to one person, fragmentation mines (such as the World War II era German S-mine ) are designed to project fragments across a wide area, causing fragmentation wounds to nearby personnel. Fragmentation mines are generally much larger and heavier than blast mines, and contain a large amount (often several kilograms) of ferrous metal. As such, they are easy to detect if

SECTION 10

#1732765036610

696-402: Is currently used to punish people who commit crimes. Amputation has also been used as a tactic in war and acts of terrorism; it may also occur as a war injury. In some cultures and religions, minor amputations or mutilations are considered a ritual accomplishment. When done by a person, the person executing the amputation is an amputator. The oldest evidence of this practice comes from

754-491: Is extensive tissue damage and poor circulation also benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). The high level of oxygenation and revascularization speed up recovery times and prevent infections. A study found that the patented method called Circulator Boot achieved significant results in prevention of amputation in patients with diabetes and arteriosclerosis. Another study found it also effective for healing limb ulcers caused by peripheral vascular disease. The boot checks

812-470: Is the removal of a limb by trauma , medical illness , or surgery . As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene . In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventive surgery for such problems. A special case is that of congenital amputation , a congenital disorder , where fetal limbs have been cut off by constrictive bands. In some countries, judicial amputation

870-454: Is their smaller size, which enables large numbers to be simultaneously deployed over a large area. This process can be done manually, via dispensers on land vehicles, or from helicopters or aircraft. Alternatively, they can be dispensed by cargo-carrying artillery shells. Other uses specific to anti-personnel mines are where they are deployed on an ad hoc basis in the following situations: Typically, anti-personnel blast mines are triggered when

928-470: Is to amplify the shock of the detonator and initiate the main explosive charge. The main charge consists of a stable explosive that is detonated by the booster charge. This is necessary, because making a mine entirely out of a highly sensitive detonator or booster explosive would be more expensive, and make the device more sensitive and thereby susceptible to accidental detonation . In most AP blast mines TNT , Composition B or phlegmatized RDX are used. On

986-536: The Chopart , Lisfranc , and ray amputations. Common forms of ankle disarticulations include Pyrogoff, Boyd, and Syme amputations. A less common major amputation is the Van Nes rotation , or rotationplasty, i.e. the turning around and reattachment of the foot to allow the ankle joint to take over the function of the knee. Types of amputations include: Types of upper extremity amputations include: A variant of

1044-575: The Iraq War . Due to technological advances in prosthetics, many amputees live active lives with little restriction. Organizations such as the Challenged Athletes Foundation have been developed to give amputees the opportunity to be involved in athletics and adaptive sports such as amputee soccer . Nearly half of the individuals who have an amputation due to vascular disease will die within 5 years, usually secondary to

1102-558: The M18 Claymore ) differ from other types in that they are designed to direct their fragments only in a limited arc. They are placed so that the blast will be directed at the target area and away from friendly forces. This design also allows forces to protect themselves by placing these types of mines near their own positions, but facing the enemy. They are triggered in a conventional manner with either tripwire or command detonation. They are generally referred to as claymore mines from

1160-509: The Ottawa Treaty , which has not yet been accepted by over 30 states and has not guaranteed the protection of citizens against APLs planted by non-state armed groups. Anti-personnel mines are used in a similar manner to anti-tank mines, in static "mine fields" along national borders or in defense of strategic positions as described in greater detail in the land mine article. What makes them different from most anti-tank mines, however,

1218-570: The Polish mine detector . The Germans responded with mines that had a wooden or glass casing to make detection harder. Wooden mines had been used by the Soviets in 1939, before the appearance of metal detectors, to save steel. Some, like the PP Mi-D mine , continued to be used into the 1980s as they were easy to make and hard to detect. Wood has the disadvantage of rotting and splitting, rendering

SECTION 20

#1732765036610

1276-415: The bone is sawed through with an oscillating saw . Sharp and rough edges of bones are filed, skin and muscle flaps are then transposed over the stump, occasionally with the insertion of elements to attach a prosthesis . Distal stabilisation of muscles is often performed. This allows effective muscle contraction which reduces atrophy, allows functional use of the stump and maintains soft tissue coverage of

1334-549: The " ordre public " and/or morality ( Article 53(a) EPC ). The author Rob Nixon has criticized the use of the adjective "anti-personnel" to describe mines, noting that the word "personnel" signifies people engaged in a particular organization, whereas in reality "four-fifths of mine casualties are civilians", in particular children. Thus, he argues, the name "flatters their accuracy by implying that they target an organization, military or otherwise." Traumatic amputation Physical medicine and rehabilitation Amputation

1392-533: The French Army, many of whom were killed by landmines. Decades after the confrontation came to an end, the Morice Line, which had been heavily mined by the French, continued to cause casualties among local Algerian populations. Algeria eventually joined the Ottawa Treaty , which bans the use of landmines, and in 2017, Algeria announced that after decades of work, it had fulfilled its mine clearance obligation under

1450-466: The Morice Line was not a "fortification" in the traditional sense of the word, it was nonetheless effective in reducing FLN activity during the Algerian War . Following the end of the war in 1962, extensive efforts were made by the new Algerian authorities to clear and dismantle the Morice Line. They included the forced employment of captured harkis and other Muslim loyalists who had served with

1508-749: The US and the Soviet Union during World War II, but never deployed. During the Cold War, the US produced the M23 chemical mine containing VX . A small explosive charge burst the mine open and dispersed the chemical when the mine was triggered. Anti-personnel mines are a typical example of subject-matter excluded from patentability under the European Patent Convention , because the publication or exploitation of such inventions are contrary to

1566-499: The US mine of this type. In the conflicts of the 21st century, anti-personnel improvised explosive devices ( IED ) have replaced conventional or military landmines as the source of injury to dismounted (pedestrian) soldiers and civilians. These injuries were recently reported in BMJ Open to be far worse than landmines , resulting in multiple limb amputations and lower body mutilation. This combination of injuries has been given

1624-424: The accident, but sometimes a few days later after medical complications. Statistically, the most common causes of traumatic amputations are: The development of the science of microsurgery over the last 40 years has provided several treatment options for a traumatic amputation, depending on the patient's specific trauma and clinical situation: Methods in preventing amputation, limb-sparing techniques , depend on

1682-413: The blast wave further up a target's foot and leg and causing greater injury, in some cases even described as severe as traumatic amputation of the leg up to the knee. Secondary injuries from a blast mine are often caused by the material that has been torn loose by the mine's explosion. This consists of the soil and stones that were on top of the mine, parts of the victim's footwear and the small bones in

1740-482: The border with Morocco, and was built with then state-of-the-art electronic systems and a mined barrage. These alarms, radars and searchlights, and the use of anti-personnel landmines helped to coordinate a response from the forces assigned to the line. These forces combined with the previous electronic systems made the line almost impenetrable. The Morice Line had a significant impact of the reduction of guerrillas activities by forces that originated from Tunisia. Though

1798-494: The detonator contains a tiny pellet of lead azide . The fuze is the most complicated component in any mine, although the amount of effort required to design and manufacture a simple fuze mechanism is quite low, similar to the retraction mechanism in a ballpoint pen . More sophisticated examples, such as the Italian SB-33 mine , have a fuze mechanism that detonates the mine if subject to gradual, steady pressure, but locks

Morice Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

1856-429: The different techniques. A 2019 Cochrane systematic review aimed to determine whether rigid dressings were more effective than soft dressings in helping wounds heal following transtibial (below the knee) amputations. Due to the limited and very low certainty evidence available, the authors concluded that it was uncertain what the benefits and harms were for each dressing type. They recommended that clinicians consider

1914-488: The environment is not too heavily contaminated with iron. These mines are deemed to be more efficient than purely "blast effect" mines, because the shrapnel covers a greater area, potentially injuring more combatants. The shrapnel from these mines can even disable some armoured vehicles, by puncturing their tires and—in the case of soft-skinned vehicles—also penetrating the skin and damaging internal components or injuring personnel. Because fragmentation mines generally contain

1972-683: The extensive co-morbidities rather than due to direct consequences of amputation. This is higher than the five year mortality rates for breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. Of persons with diabetes who have a lower extremity amputation, up to 55% will require amputation of the second leg within two to three years. The word amputation is borrowed from Latin amputātus, past participle of amputāre "to prune back (a plant), prune away, remove by cutting (unwanted parts or features), cut off (a branch, limb, body part)," from am-, assimilated variant of amb- "about, around" + putāre "to prune, make clean or tidy, scour (wool)". The English word "Poes"

2030-522: The formation of ice crystals upon freezing and blood clots upon thawing, leading to cell damage and cell death . Treatment of severe frostbite may require surgical amputation of the affected tissue or limb; if there is deep injury autoamputation may occur. Sometimes professional athletes may choose to have a non-essential digit amputated to relieve chronic pain and impaired performance. The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might for mischief through

2088-405: The fuze if subject to a sudden shock. This defeats one of the main methods of clearing a path through a minefield – detonating the mines with explosive devices, such as mine-clearing line charges . The booster charge is a highly sensitive explosive that will activate easily when subjected to the shock of the detonator . Typically, a pea-sized pellet of RDX is used. The purpose of the booster

2146-708: The heart rhythm and compresses the limb between heartbeats; the compression helps cure the wounds in the walls of veins and arteries, and helps to push the blood back to the heart. For victims of trauma, advances in microsurgery in the 1970s have made replantations of severed body parts possible. The establishment of laws, rules, and guidelines, and employment of modern equipment help protect people from traumatic amputations. The individual may experience psychological trauma and emotional discomfort. The stump will remain an area of reduced mechanical stability. Limb loss can present significant or even drastic practical limitations. A large proportion of amputees (50–80%) experience

2204-585: The immediate danger of death from blood loss. Orthopedic surgeons often assess the severity of different injuries using the Mangled Extremity Severity Score. Given different clinical and situational factors, they can predict the likelihood of amputation. This is especially useful for emergency physicians to quickly evaluate patients and decide on consultations. Traumatic amputation is uncommon in humans (1 per 20,804 population per year). Loss of limb usually happens immediately during

2262-414: The land is execution or crucifixion, or cutting of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land. As for the thief, male or female, cut off their hands and feet from opposite ends in recompense for what they have committed. Surgeons performing an amputation have to first ligate the supplying artery and vein , so as to prevent hemorrhage (bleeding). The muscles are transected, and finally,

2320-453: The latter may or may not be a bounding mine . APLs are often designed to injure and maim , not kill, their victims to overwhelm the logistical (mostly medical) support system of enemy forces that encounter them. Some types of APLs can also damage the tracks on armoured vehicles or the tires of wheeled vehicles. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has sought to ban mines and destroy stockpile. For this purpose, it introduced in 1997

2378-479: The main body of the mine out of the ground before it detonates at around chest height. This produces a more lethal spray of shrapnel over a larger area. One such mine – the US M16 mine – can cause injuries up to 200 metres (660 ft) away. The steel shrapnel makes bounding mines easy to detect, so they may be surrounded by minimum metal mines to make mine clearance harder. Directional fragmentation weapons (such as

Morice Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-581: The mine non-functional after a comparatively short time in the ground (or the advantage, in that the mine can be considered self-disabling, and will be less likely to cause unintended injuries years later). Mines manufactured after the 1950s generally use plastic casings to hinder detection by electronic mine detectors. Some, referred to as minimum metal mines , are constructed with as little metal as possible – often around 1 gram (0.035 oz) – to make them difficult to detect. Mines containing absolutely no metal have been produced, but are uncommon. By its nature,

2494-403: The mine's main charge, the depth, type of soil it was laid in and how the victim contacted it, e.g. stepping on the mine, using all or part of the foot. Different types of soil will result in different amounts of energy being transferred upward into the subject's foot, with saturated "clay-like" soil transferring the most. Larger main charges result in a release of significantly more energy, driving

2552-505: The mine. Small blast mines will severely damage a tire, rendering it irreparable while some types could also damage adjacent running gear. The mine casing houses the components of the mine and protects it from its environment. Early mines, such as the ones used in the World War II era, had casings made of steel or aluminium. However, by the middle of the conflict, the British Army was using the first, practical, portable metal detector –

2610-751: The name "Dismounted Complex Blast Injury" and is thought to be the worst survivable injury ever seen in war. During World War II, flame mines known as the flame fougasse were produced by the British during the invasion crisis of 1940 . Later, the Soviets produced a flame-mine, called the FOG-1. This was copied by the Germans to produce the Abwehrflammenwerfer 42 , these devices were effectively disposable, trip-wire triggered flamethrowers . Chemical mines have also been made. They were made by Britain,

2668-445: The phenomenon of phantom limbs ; they feel body parts that are no longer there. These limbs can itch, ache, burn, feel tense, dry or wet, locked in or trapped or they can feel as if they are moving. Some scientists believe it has to do with a kind of neural map that the brain has of the body, which sends information to the rest of the brain about limbs regardless of their existence. Phantom sensations and phantom pain may also occur after

2726-474: The problems that might cause amputations to be necessary. Chronic infections, often caused by diabetes or decubitus ulcers in bedridden patients, are common causes of infections that lead to gangrene, which, when widespread, necessitates amputation. There are two key challenges: first, many patients have impaired circulation in their extremities, and second, they have difficulty curing infections in limbs with poor blood circulation. Crush injuries where there

2784-523: The pros and cons of each dressing type on a case-by-case basis: rigid dressings may potentially benefit patients who have a high risk of falls; soft dressings may potentially benefit patients who have poor skin integrity. A 2017 review found that the use of rigid removable dressings (RRD's) in trans-tibial amputations, rather than soft bandaging, improved healing time, reduced edema, prevented knee flexion contractures and reduced complications, including further amputation, from external trauma such as falls onto

2842-490: The remnant bone. The preferred stabilisation technique is myodesis where the muscle is attached to the bone or its periosteum. In joint disarticulation amputations tenodesis may be used where the muscle tendon is attached to the bone. Muscles are attached under similar tension to normal physiological conditions. An experimental technique known as the "Ewing amputation" aims to improve post-amputation proprioception . Another technique with similar goals, which has been tested in

2900-424: The removal of body parts other than the limbs, e.g. after amputation of the breast, extraction of a tooth (phantom tooth pain) or removal of an eye ( phantom eye syndrome ). A similar phenomenon is unexplained sensation in a body part unrelated to the amputated limb. It has been hypothesized that the portion of the brain responsible for processing stimulation from amputated limbs, being deprived of input, expands into

2958-402: The setting of infected gangrene . A guillotine amputation is typically followed with a more time-consuming, definitive amputation such as an above or below knee amputation . Frostbite is a cold-related injury occurring when an area (typically a limb or other extremity) is exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues. Its pathophysiology involves

SECTION 50

#1732765036610

3016-426: The stump. Post-operative management, in addition to wound healing, considers maintenance of limb strength, joint range, edema management, preservation of the intact limb (if applicable) and stump desensitization. Traumatic amputation is the partial or total avulsion of a part of a body during a serious accident, like traffic, labor, or combat. Traumatic amputation of a human limb, either partial or total, creates

3074-557: The surrounding brain, ( Phantoms in the Brain : V.S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee ) such that an individual who has had an arm amputated will experience unexplained pressure or movement on his face or head. In many cases, the phantom limb aids in adaptation to a prosthesis, as it permits the person to experience proprioception of the prosthetic limb. To support improved resistance or usability, comfort or healing, some type of stump socks may be worn instead of or as part of wearing

3132-486: The trans-radial amputation is the Krukenberg procedure in which the radius and ulna are used to create a stump capable of a pincer action. Hemicorporectomy , or amputation at the waist, and decapitation , or amputation at the neck, are the most radical amputations. Genital modification and mutilation may involve amputating tissue, although not necessarily as a result of injury or disease. In some rare cases when

3190-417: The treaty. It announced the clearing of the last 93 mined or suspected mined areas, including 78 former mine barrages in the Morice Line. Anti-personnel mine An anti-personnel mine or anti-personnel landmine ( APL ) is a form of mine designed for use against humans, as opposed to an anti-tank mine , which target vehicles. APLs are classified into: blast mines and fragmentation mines ;

3248-455: The victim steps on them. Their primary purpose is to blow the victim's foot or leg off, disabling them. Injuring, rather than killing, the victim is viewed as preferable to increase the logistical (evacuation, medical) burden on the opposing force. When a person steps on a blast mine and activates it, the mine's main charge detonates , creating a blast shock wave consisting of hot gases travelling at extremely high velocity. The shock wave sends

3306-413: The victim's foot. This debris creates wounds typical of similar secondary blast effects or fragmentation . Special footwear, including combat boots or so-called "blast boots", is only moderately protective against the destructive effects of blast mines, and the loss of a foot is a typical outcome. Blast mines have little effect on armoured vehicles, but can damage a wheeled vehicle if it runs directly over

3364-584: Was first applied to surgery in the 17th century, possibly first in Peter Lowe's A discourse of the Whole Art of Chirurgerie (published in either 1597 or 1612); his work was derived from 16th-century French texts and early English writers also used the words "extirpation" (16th-century French texts tended to use extirper ), " disarticulation ", and " dismemberment " (from the Old French desmembrer and

#609390