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.
If the mouth is the gateway to the body, then the esophagus is a highway for food and drink to travel along to make it to the stomach. This body part has a very simple function, but can have many disorders. The esophagus is a tube that connects the throat (pharynx) and the stomach. It is about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long. The esophagus isnât just a hollow tube that food slips down like a water slide, though. The esophagus is made of muscles that contract to move food to the stomach.