Prosthetics have been around for centuries. The Greek historian Herodotus is said to have written about a Persian seer or psychic who escaped the death sentence by cutting off his foot and making a wooden filler to walk 30 miles to the next town.
In Capua, Italy an artificial leg made of bronze and iron wrapped around a core of wood was unearthed in 1858. The prosthetic dates back to around 300 B.C. The Dark Ages produced the hand hook and the peg leg. These prosthetics had little function other than to provide a means for soldiers to continue in battle. Functional peg legs and hand hooks were only used by the wealthy.
Today’s New Horizons with Prosthetic Limbs
Fast forward to the new millennium, where technology has evolved in leaps and bounds and it seems anything is possible. Prosthetics have become consistently more functional over time. While the aesthetics of artificial limbs left much to be desired throughout the years, even that has changed. Prosthetics are now lighter and more functional than ever. Thanks to robotics, they are soon to become even more life-like in every practical way.
Physiologists, surgeons, biophysicists and other researchers and scientists have joined forces and are on the verge of producing artificial prosthetics that move in the same fashion as real limbs. With muscle grafting, nerve attachment and the use of electrodes attached to a smart leg, a person with a leg amputated below the knee will have the ability to operate the prosthetic leg with nearly the same precision as a natural leg.
What’s been missing in these types of prosthetics is the simulation of the action of two opposing muscles. When one leg muscle contracts, such as when you bend down, the opposing muscle stretches.
A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed technology to simulate this action. They also experimented on lab rats to see if it would work and they were pleasantly surprised with the results.
Human trials are expected to yield promising results, including the ability for the patient to feel position, speed, and force, due to the muscle grafting and nerve connections. If these trials are successful, amputee patients will be in line to have their ability to be fully functional restored.
Cutting edge technology leading to life-like prosthetic limbs is remarkably good news for those who have suffered losing an arm or leg. When that loss is due to the negligence of another person, you deserve compensation for all that you must endure as a result. You can get that help by contacting the law office of Frohlich, Gordon & Beason, P.A.
As community members and caring lawyers of Port Charlotte, FL, we’ve been obtaining justice for area residents for years. Make sure your rights are protected by calling on the lawyers who care, Frohlich, Gordon & Beason, P.A. Make an appointment for your free consultation.