Artificial Limbs

Prosthesis is a term used for replacing a human body part which has been damaged or cut accidently with an artificial one. Earliest users of prosthesis were Ancient Egyptians. Due to war injuries they used prosthetic limbs to look complete. A prosthetic toe was found on a 3000 years old mummy. An ancient Greek historian

Injuries like the one she experienced are incredibly rare. In the United States alone, it is estimated that at least two million people are missing one or more limbs, and about 185,000 amputations occur annually. Fifty-four percent of the population receive amputations because of vascular diseases like diabetes. Forty-five percent get amputations because of trauma. Less than two percent get amputations due to cancer (“Limb Loss”). People are 15,000 times more likely to die in a car accident than get bitten by a shark. People are thirty times more likely to die from getting struck by lightning. Losing a limb would make everyday tasks very difficult to accomplish. It would be hard to get dressed, eat, or even tie shoes

Many veterans are missing major limbs, and are very handicapped making work and everyday life a huge struggle. There are prosthetic legs and arms that can be used, but they often take a long time to learn, and are very costly. In a recent interview with NBC News, a veteran by the name of Mike Kacer explains how the government spent $117,000 providing him with prosthetic arms over the last five years, and he doesn’t even like to use them. "I could actually tie the shoe faster without the prosthesis," Kacer says, and he’s not the only one that feels this way. Many other veterans using these prosthetic limbs eventually abandon them due to painful, unreliable and hard to use reasons. “Of the roughly 1,600 veterans who have suffered major limb losses from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 319 have faced amputations of some part of their arms.” (NBC News). Not only is that a lot of money spent on prosthetics that are hard to use, painful, and eventually abandoned, arms rather than legs are a lot harder to use according to research by Gary Berke, a Stanford University instructor who operates a private clinic providing prosthetics. "Walking is relatively straightforward," Berke said. Artificial legs essentially can do everything that real ones do. Artificial arms, however, are not nearly as adept as the real ones. "We're behind the eight ball in terms of

A phantom limb can actually be very painful and debilitating to a person and hinder their daily life. Severe pain can also cause the patient to reject the use of a prosthetic limb in place of the amputated one. Sadly most people do not find relief in many of the pain therapy options offered. Often if there was any pain right

Prosthetics has always been part of most of our history, and it has come a long way since then. Forms of prosthetics date way back to the Civil War, and has made a lot of progress throughout the years. During the Civil War, many soldiers would have to be amputated everyday to save their lives. For example, in the text “I Will Not Get Out of Heart Yet,” it states that “Soldiers shot in the arm or leg on the battlefield were highly likely to develop potentially fatal infections, and the only way to prevent a painful death was to cut off the damaged body part.” Despite this fact, prosthetics were extremely uncomfortable to wear and were considered “crude contraptions” and “ were usually made of wood or steel --- that were awkward and painful to wear.” Many soldiers did not like having prosthetic limbs, as they were uncomfortable to wear and awkward to move around with.

During the Dark Ages a lost limb was considered a weakness; therefore the majority of artificial limbs were made for soldiers to hold a shield or hide a missing leg while in battle (Clements, 2008). At that time, welders, watchmakers and tradesman made prosthetics. The watchmakers were key to the addition of the internal functions of the limb (Norton 2007). Functionality was not considered while making these artificial limbs, however they did allow for soldiers to continue on in

According to Molly Schimdt and Victor Camacho there are more than 2million Americans living with the loss of a limb. Although this is an unfortunate event, there have been numerous professions and implementations to help these individuals matriculate through the process of being an amputee. Over time there has been a growing concern in regards to the elderly and their adaptation to learning. The occupational therapist at Kessler Institute for rehabilitation in Saddle Brook, New jersey have used methods, theories, and their own evidence based research to implement a program that is both client-centered and reliable, to allow adults with prosthetic limbs to adapt in a quicker time. Methods such as Kolb’s learning style intervention, the model

Prosthetic limbs have gotten much more advanced than the peg leg you see a pirate donning in a stereotypical Hollywood portrayal. They have advanced most noticeably in the past decade. The materials they are constructed from have gotten better, and they are becoming smarter and thus enabling greater dexterity and control on the part of the user. Many of them contain basic robotics elements and microchips. There is a foot from a company in Iceland that actually enables the wearer to feel sensations when pressure is applied against it such as when walking. The latest breakthrough is a bionic hand that gives the wearer the closest experience to a natural hand in terms of the movements and motions that can be made with it.

Prosthetic limbs have been around for centuries, but what is one thing they all have in common? They have all been a nuisance. In recent years technology of the modern day Prosthesis has ventured to new heights, but they have not perfected an artificial limb yet. With the amount of people in need of prosthetic limbs, the demand for a perfect prosthesis is tremendous. The perfect prosthesis shouldn’t feel or even look like an artificial limb. Prosthetics should go unnoticed throughout the rest of the amputee’s life.

An estimated 1.7 million United States (U.S.) citizens in the year 2007 were living with the loss of a limb. This number is projected to more than double by the year 2050 to 3.6 million. This trend is driven by an aging population and the associated increase of amputations resulting from diabetes and vascular disease (McFarland). Limb amputees face overwhelming physical, emotional, and financial lifestyle changes. They require prosthetic devices and services which become a lifetime commitment. Problems and solutions of prosthetic devices can be observed through ease of use, approval of new technology, coverage by insurers, and the viewpoint of the Catholic Church.

As author, Andrew Heller said, “Technology is like a fish. The longer it stays on the shelf, the less desirable it becomes” (Farfan, 2016). Heller means that technology must be constantly updated otherwise it will become boring, outdated and undesirable. When at full employment, society can dedicate themselves to work toward technological advancements. A higher education is vital to advance technology far enough to benefit the economy.

who want limbs that function faster and better. Their demands push the limits of prosthetic

Dina Fine Maron says that limb regeneration remains a science fiction for human beings but new windows are provided by accidental discoveries. From research in gene cells of human beings

In prescription, prosthetic limb is a fake gadget that replaces a missing body part. The procedure of making this known as appendage prosthesis. It is a piece of the field of bio mechatronics, the study of utilizing mechanical gadgets with human muscle, skeleton, and sensory systems to support or improve engine control lost by trauma, ailment, or deformity. Prostheses are ordinarily used to supplant parts lost by harm (traumatic) or absent from conception (intrinsic) or to supplement imperfect body parts. Inside the body, manufactured heart valves are in like manner utilization with simulated hearts and lungs seeing less normal utilization. Other therapeutic gadgets and supports that could be considered prosthetics incorporate amplifiers,

There are over 11.4 million amputees worldwide in need of prosthetic limbs. Traditional methods of producing prosthetics limit availability due to cost and durability. While the technology is still very new and not well developed, 3D-printing is the future of prosthetic limbs. 3D-printed prosthetic limbs may be printed with different materials, and provide quick production with a lower cost, which can increase the availability of prosthetic limbs to more amputees.