BS ISO 8549-4:2020

What is ISO 8549-4 about?  

ISO 8549-4 specifies a vocabulary for the description of surgical limb amputations, amputation procedures, and persons who have had an amputation. 

ISO 8549-4 provides a standardized vocabulary of terminologies used for external limb prostheses and external orthoses. Thus, ensuring consistency and eliminating ambiguities in terms while practising prosthetics and orthotics. 

Who is ISO 8549-4 for? 

ISO 8549-4 on terms relating to limb amputation- vocabulary is useful for: 

• Prosthetics and orthotics practitioners 
• Manufacturers and suppliers of prostheses and orthoses 
• Epidemiologists  
• Governmental health officials 

Why should you use ISO 8549-4? 

At present, no internationally accepted terminology describes the complete range of surgical limb amputation levels, amputation procedures, and persons who have had an amputation. Members of clinic teams in different countries have developed their own terminology to meet their own needs. 

ISO 8549-4 fulfils this need for you of a standard international system of terminology which will allow practitioners to accurately describe the surgical history of persons who have had a limb amputation(s) and to facilitate comparisons with the experience of other practitioners. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

This second edition BS ISO 8549-4:2020 replaces the first edition ISO 8549-4:2014, which has been technically revised. 

The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows: 

• The use of hyphens in anatomical terms, such as trans pelvic, has been abandoned in line with other parts of the ISO 8549 series.