what is the latest techonolgy in prosthetic limbs?

Posted by admin on Sep 4th, 2010 | 0 comments

Question by Vietboi-Tu: what is the latest techonolgy in prosthetic limbs?
so i was wondering about the world today. wondering, what if i were in some serious car accident and had to amputate my legs. would i be able to walk normally with prosthetics?
any how this led to my questioning of all prosthetics such as arms, hands, legs, etc. how much can we do with them? are they able to link in with the nervous system? can you differenciate a high quality prosthetic from a real limb from a distance?

Best answer:

Answer by Shelley
If you were in an accident and you had to loose a single leg you could most defiantly learn to walk normally. I wear an above knee prosthetic leg and I have a slight limp ( which is more noticeable when I’m tired or in pain) but for the most part no one ever notices. I walk in both flat shoes and high heels. below knee amputees have an easier time walking.

If you were a double above knee amputee your balance and gait ( walking with out a limp) would be trickier. This is because of the energy you would have to use and the lack of both knee joints. If it was double below knee it would be easier because the knee joints help considerably.

Don’t get me wrong you can’t just have an accident get a leg the next day and run a half marathon. You need to work your butt off and deal with the many changes a stump goes though. I’ve worn a leg since the age of 5 and I regularly have changes made to my socket because of weight changes and things break down.

A lot can be done but with all this awesome technology comes limits.

I wear a C-leg ( made by Otto Bock if you want to look it up) it’s an awesome computerized knee with a heafty price tag ( 30 -50 thousand dollars) It helps me walk down stairs and on uneven ground with relative ease. It helps prevent tripping and starts to speed up when I do. I love it to pieces but it isn’t for everyone.

What I don’t like about it is how delicate it can be. I can wear it in the rain safely enough but I can’t get it wet. I also can’t get it dirty and as a girl who loves to hike, canoe, and live in a province that surrounded by salt water and riddled with bogs you can see my problem. In order to do many of my beloved activities I need a second less high tech leg that can withstand exposure to water and muck.

high tech toys also come with high tech rules. Because they are so expensive there are lots of fussy warranty rules. What feet you can and cannot use, what parts can be used, who is allowed to fix your limb, how often it has to come in for repairs. While I didn’t like Otto Bocks foot rule I do love their customer service. My C-leg broke they gave me a loaner for 2 months while it was repaired.

As for arms there are all sorts of cool gadgets out there. The ilimb is kinda like the C-leg. Expensive, flashy, but it does have it’s limits and it doesn’t work for everyone.

There has been some mostly experimental work done on nerve linking. Anything that involves surgery makes me and many other amputees squeemish. I’ve had over a dozen revision surgeries on my stump, let me tell you when you open up any part of your body you run the risk of things going wrong. Infections can happen, nerves can be damaged, and all hell can break loose. While there has been work done on bone anchored and nerve linked limbs I’m not about to sign up for any type of limb that requires anything attached to my insides. One of the great things about my leg is I can take it off when it hurts and cuddle up in bed.

As for look limbs can be made to be super life like. Silicone has come a long way but you’ll pay out the nose for it. I will be getting a removable foam cover for when I do theatre productions. But for day to day use I like my blue and silver leg. It’s a fake leg and I’m okay with it.

Some great companies for you to look up are:
Touch Bionics
Otto Bock
and Ossur

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Want to Live Extra Years?

Q&A: What major should I pursue to go into prosthetic research?

Posted by admin on Aug 28th, 2010 | 0 comments

Question by mb135099: What major should I pursue to go into prosthetic research?
I want to go into researching technologies used for prosthetic limbs such as artificial muscle, communications between the prosthetic and the brain, or work on ways to improve dexterity. My interest is mostly at the molecular level.

I’ve been having some trouble finding what major to study to go into such a field. At first I was thinking biochemistry/chemical biology but after doing some research I think Chemical and Biomolecular engineering might be the one to go with. Can anyone help me out with this?

Best answer:

Answer by eri
That usually falls under bioengineering. I know Clemson University has a program in bioengineering and does research in prosthetics – you might want to look into their program.