A peg leg is a prosthesis, or artificial limb, fitted to the remaining stump of a human leg, especially a wooden one fitted at the knee. Its use dates to antiquity.
A peg leg is a prosthesis, or artificial limb, fitted to the remaining stump of a human leg, especially a wooden one fitted at the knee. Its use dates to antiquity.
By the late 19th century, prosthetics vendors offered peg legs as cheaper alternatives to the intricate, lifelike artificial legs available at that time. Even as these vendors touted the advantages of more complicated prostheses over simple peg legs, according to a contemporary surgeon, many patients found peg legs more comfortable for walking. According to medical reports, some amputees adapted so well to using a peg leg that they could walk 10 or even 30 miles in one day.
Nowadays, wooden peg legs have been replaced by more modern materials, although some sports prostheses still maintain the same form.