1 Related Resources Above-Knee Amputation Lower-limb amputation is a surgical procedure performed to remove a limb that has been damaged due to trauma or disease. 2  Find a PT Search our national database of physical therapists.
Food is moved through the pharynx and then enters the esophagus. This is the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach. Your esophagus is about 10 inches long, and it acts only as a passageway for food and drink. The esophagus passes behind the airway to the lungs and in front of the spinal column. It pierces the diaphragm before reaching the stomach. Food moves through your esophagus by a wavelike series of muscular contractions called peristalsis.
The stomach is a C-shaped pouch that receives the food bolus from the esophagus. It aids both in mechanical and chemical digestion. Acting like a churn, the stomach mixes the food with gastric acid and breaks down the food into a milky substance known as chyme. The acid reduces the pH of the stomach, in the process allowing activation of an enzyme called pepsin. This starts the chemical digestive process. 1  1. 2  2. 3  3. 4  Next â.