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Advancements in the Development of Prosthetic Devices

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Prosthetic devices are needed by many people throughout the world every year due to injuries and health complications. However, choosing the correct prosthetic and being able to afford the device can seem a bit challenging. Prosthetic devices are made up of many different components and different prosthetics are made for different lifestyles. Designing, making, and assembling these pieces can be very costly. In fact, a prosthetic leg can range anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000, and even the most expensive prosthetics withstands use for only three to five years (Mohney). Regardless of the current cost, technology is advancing and we are developing new ways to make these devices. Prosthetic devices are improving by becoming more technologically advanced, cheaper, and more widely available. The history of prosthetics dates back many years to when they were originally made around 1500 B.C. Prosthetic devices were originally used to take the place of limbs but had no other purpose. Most prosthetic devices during Roman times were just wooden or steel pegs (Patel). In the 1500s, Ambroise Pare introduced amputation to the medical community, and shortly after,made artificial limbs to take the place of the arm and elbow earning him the name, the father of prosthetics. In the late 1600s, Pieter Andriannszoon Verduyh developed the first non-locking prosthesis for below the knee which is the basis for the joints used today. Sir James Syme then introduced ankle amputation to

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