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Prosthetics: The Evolution Of The Human Body

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The human body in itself is an amazing machine. It is one of the most efficient, self-reliant machines ever made. The crazy part is that it isn't really a machine at all. Created out of organic matter, human bodies provide engineers information that can be applied to prosthesis made of iron and steel. Just like any object on this earth, bodies are subject to gravitational, normal and frictional forces, maybe even in more of a complex way than structures created from metal and wood. With the human body being so different and unique, it is hard to imagine how engineering can play a role. We think that we know the body so well, yet not well enough to understand it’s mechanisms in a physical sense. The understanding only goes as far as connecting …show more content…

She was from India and her story was found in the Rig-Veda, an ancient poem. In her case, she was fitted with an iron prosthesis. This type of prosthetic that she had fits under the category of functional as it allowed her to go back into battle. Another early prosthetic was uncovered in the tombs of Egyptians. Who “believed that losing a limb was worse than death and would affect the amputee in the afterlife” (from Institute for preventative foot heatlth.org). Since this was a major deal, they even whet to the trouble to created small prosthetics such as toes. Ironically, it seems as toes were the most common prosthesis that they created for people. These artificial toes were created out of mixture of linen, animal glue, tinted plaster or wood and iron. The two famous toes that were found attached in tombs, prove to have been functional due to signs of wear. Experts used the same idea and tested it on real people. The volunteers found that the toe allowed them to walk more efficiently in a sandal and while barefoot. It was even comfortable. The experiment proved that the Egyptians had to have known what they were doing to yield such a functional …show more content…

While these prosthesis seem simple, they are amazingly constructed within it. Often on these ships, there were no doctors. When an amputation was needed the cook would do the honors. Why the peg leg and hook hand? There was always a stray hook or a stray piece of wood handyonboard. Sadly the rates of success were often very poor. As for history on progression side of prosthetics, France steals the attention. During the 16th century a military doctor Ambrois Paré, became known for his advancements in prosthetic procedures. He invented specialized hinges that allowed for more mobility in hands and locking joints placed in the knees. Connection between the device and the leftover limb, was improved by using a leather cuff for leg prosthetics. It allowed for better control of the foreign limb that was to become a part of the body. These inventions have proven to be effective, as traces from this origin still found

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