Artificial leg, England, 1914-1920
Prosthetic legs such as this one were known as pylons and they were issued to servicemen who had recently lost a leg to get them used to the idea and feel of an artificial leg. They would be worn for a short period before a proper artificial limb was fitted. Made from fibre with leather padding, the leg was issued by a Red Cross provisional limb depot in Stretford, Manchester, England. The Red Cross set up these depots to help provide for some of the 41,000 British servicemen who lost a limb during the First World War.
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Artificial body parts, or materials inserted into tissue for functional, cosmetic, or therapeutic effect. Prostheses can be functional (artificial arms and legs), or cosmetic (artificial eye).
Glossary: artificial leg
A device, either external or implanted, that substitutes for or supplements a missing or defective part of the body.