Prosthetic Limbs Essay

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

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

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

The impact of amputation can have many emotional effects on amputees. Many amputees go through a period of low-self esteem and emotional adjustment after losing a limb. Some amputees view themselves of having a problem. This viewpoint is not relatively new, it has been the mindset of amputees for centuries. In the feudal era, knights often had prosthetics made into their armor to appear as if they had all their biological limbs. However, these prosthetics were virtually useless. These views that affected prosthetics can be easily seen today. Cosmesis is a type of prosthetic that can model real limbs with extreme detail such as skin color, freckles, and even hair. Besides the limitations of cosmesis, many amputees report that most people can not distinguish the prosthetic from the real limb (Bowers). Cosmesis is an ongoing study to provide amputees with a life-like prosthesis that offers function and mobility. The desire to gain independence and acceptance of the prosthesis may also influence the advancements of prosthetics.

One positive impact that bionics can have is reducing or eliminating the amount of pain that users experience.Many prostitutes can be painful on the skin. With the new future technology the limb can be directly placed on the bone and not to the skin. The article The Insane and Exciting Future Of The Bionic Body states that “Herr envisions a future where prosthetics

In the early years of film, make-up artists were not recognised for their artistic skills and ingenuity of making prosthetics or their imagination of bringing others creations to life. Many of the artists were also actors or stunt men who learnt the craft by applying their own make up for film and theatre. Compared to today’s materials used to make prosthetics, many of the materials they used were very basic as they used spirit gum, fish skin, cotton, gelatin, greasepaints, collodion, cheesecloth, clay, Fullers Earth, various putties, pastes and wax and latex. The first documented prosthetic was in the 1909 book “The Art of Theater Make up” by Cavendish Morton, who when transforming himself into the character Falstaff used silk attached to a wig, nose paste, spirit gum, crepe hair and greasepaints.

reduce in the functionality of the prosthetic limbs, it also meant that the cost of prosthetic limbs was reduced. The reduction in the cost meant that almost everyone was now able to afford the price of a prosthetic limb, and it was no longer a privileged thing for the rich and powerful, though the prosthetic limbs of the rich and powerful were constructed primarily using more advanced materials.

From peg legs and hooks to mechanical arms and legs, prosthetics have improved drastically since the dawn of time. Prosthetics have allowed amputees to obtain more mobility and flexibility in their lives. The advancements in prosthetics have also led to a better understanding in the area of amputation and in the assembly of the prosthetics themselves. The question is what allowed the advancements of prosthetics to happen in the first place? The answer lies within technology and its role in the medical field. Technology has allowed for prosthetics to not only look like real limbs, but to function as though they are real. Progression in the fabrication of the prosthetic limbs from wood and leather, to now programmable microprocessor controls

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.

My passion for the world of Prosthetics and Orthotics was sparked whilst serving with the Military in Afghanistan, where I was witness to the varying array of catastrophic injuries, caused by the conflict. Not only amongst my fellow Service Personnel, but also amongst the local populace.

Take a second, and imagine your life as a teenager, fresh out of college with, aspiring to get a degree in whatever your heart desires. You’ve got lots of ambition and potential. The world is at your fingertips; you can do anything you set your mind to. But one day, tragedy strikes and the unthinkable happens: you lose a limb. Why is not important, but what the future entails is. Let’s say this limb is your right arm, the one you have used all your life to write, eat, type and play the guitar. Now let’s change the scenario a little bit. Instead you’ve lost your legs in a horrific car accident where both were crushed under the weight of the dashboard as your car collided with the 4x4 in front of you. You wake up the next day in the hospital groggy, barely remembering what happened. Shock is the only thing running through your mind the moment you look down to see your legs missing. Your brain thinks they’re still there because yesterday you were just getting out of bed for your morning jog. All that remains are the stubs where your legs used to be and the unbearable thought of being confined to a motorized chair for the rest of your life.

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

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,

This inspires groups to donate 3D-printed prosthetic limbs to amputees who have limited resources. Cost is a major factor for many families who have children that require new prosthetics as the child grows.