An Insight into Medical Prosthetics
You probably clicked on this article with your hand, in some form or the other. People tend to take their limbs for granted, as we utilize them on a daily basis to walk, drive, write, and carry things. But what happens when you lose an arm or leg? You can no longer do things as you would normally. However dark this situation may be, not all hope is lost, as can be seen through the development of prosthetics throughout history. Prosthetics have been used throughout the course of history and are still being researched and developed to this day, giving hope to those who have lost limbs or other parts of their body.
History of Prosthetics
A prosthesis or prosthetic implant is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth. The history of this technology dates back several millennia, when an Egyptian mummy dated from 750 B.C. was discovered wearing a prosthetic toe made from wood and leather. Prosthetics and similar technology have been evidenced as a developing science throughout history. During the Roman Empire, Marcus Sergius, a general in the Roman army, was wounded in battle and was given an iron rod as a replacement for his missing arm. A number of custom-designed limbs were created throughout the Renaissance period, utilizing more primitive materials like wood, metal, and leather. The limbs were bent and rotated with the help of cables, gears, cranks, and springs. One of the earliest known references of prosthetics in literature comes from France in 1579, when Ambroise Pare, a French surgeon, published a complete book compiling all of his prosthetic operations. His work in the 1500s made significant progress in artificial prosthesis. Featuring joints and complex articulation, Pare’s work vastly improved the standard of artificial limbs during the time.
Though the Civil War and World War I were major battles that would typically elicit the development of prosthetic technology, few designs had lasting changes or improvements to the science. After World War I, the Surgeon General of the United States Army established the American Prosthetics and Orthotics Association. Despite this, important advancements in prosthetics did not occur until after WWII, when the US government supported military corporations in the improvement of prosthetic shape and function. As a result, many of these more modern prosthetics are comprised of plastic, aluminum, and other composite materials.
Following World War II was also the development of prosthetic research in the form of the Artificial Limb Program, which further developed complex and advanced limbs, advancing prosthetics like the patellar-0tendon-bearing below-knee prosthesis. In accordance with the Limb Program, many organizations were created to support the further development of the technology behind prosthetics, with the profession and trade being passed down as current prosthetists started to offer classes at colleges like the University of California. The congregation and discussion of prosthetics facilitated a sharp developmental time in the field. Public awareness, funding, and the careful research of specialists in the field led to a period of massive changes and significance in the history of prosthetics. In the 1970s, inventor Ysidro M. Martinez made a significant contribution to the history of prosthetics. During the time, prosthetics were designed and constructed entirely for efficacy and purpose, to give amputees their previous movements and more fully regain a sense of range of motion. However, Martinez approached prosthetics differently, instead redefining the development of prosthetics with the aim of giving amputee’s more control and reducing discomfort through minimizing pressure and friction. This approach is still widely utilized in the science of prosthetics today, with artificial limbs instead being built with the intention of comfort and ease of use.
Today and the Future
As of the 21th century, the method that prosthetics have been developed has drastically improved. Currently, prosthetics are not limited to the materials of the past which included leather, wood, and metal and are instead made from acrylic resin, carbon fiber, thermoplastics, silicone, aluminum, and titanium not only giving them more durability but also allowing for a longer life span. Utilizing these more modern and efficient materials will also provide concrete benefits to prosthetics, allowing them to be lighter, stronger, and more life-like. Allowing them to change function automatically during certain motions such as gripping or walking, electronic technology has also improved the control of today’s advanced prosthetics.
3D-printed prosthetics have also been utilized in recent years. In 3D printed prosthetics, materials such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymers or Bridge nylon are used for a tougher composition. Other materials, such as lightweight titanium, are becoming 3D printer compatible, enhancing the strength and longevity of prosthetics. A Belgian research team successfully implanted the first 3D printed titanium mandibular prosthesis by using a laser to melt microscopic layers of titanium particles.
- To learn more about a boy who took one of his LEGO pirate ships and transformed it into an arm, click the link below.
Neuroprosthetic
- Any device that can enhance the input or output of a neural system
- Used to enhance the motor, sensory, cognitive, visual, auditory, and communicative deficits that arise from acquired brain injuries
Neuroprosthetics are controlled by a brain-computer interface (BCI) or a brain-machine interface (BMI). Built primarily off of myoelectric science, neuroprosthetics are some of the closest prosthesis to a real limb. Certain thoughts, such as moving or flexing a muscle, generate electrical activity, which activates nerve cells and brainwaves. As a result of these electric signals, interfaces like the BCI or BMI can be used to create prosthetics that can be controlled by the amputee’s muscles and nervous signals.
Neuroprosthetics focus more directly on the functions of the human body. When you move a limb, the brain sends electrical impulses causing it to accomplish the action you intend. Mapping the brain provides intent into what a brain signal means, and how the body is supposed to respond accordingly.
A brain-machine interface relies either on a chip implanted in the user’s brain or electrodes placed upon the scalp. That way signals from the brain may be read by the prosthetic device itself. For simple control, such as bending and straightening a knee, electrodes on the scalp are sufficient. However, intraparenchymal electrodes, or electrodes implanted in the brain, provide far more fine motor control, such as the capacity to manipulate arms and drink from cups.
Prosthetics of all types have evolved tremendously over time. Before a person needed to assist themselves in order to complete a move. Now just the thought of the action will result in movement. This technology is not going anywhere and will keep improving as advancements in AI take place.
