A breakthrough in prosthetic arms can give thousands of people a second chance at a normal life. The new procedure is called targeted muscle reinnervation, and it allows the prosthetic arm to be moved automatically and almost as naturally as a real arm. Nerves remaining from an amputation are connected to muscle, most commonly chest muscle. Electrodes are placed over the muscle, and at cue, the brain sends signals to the muscles which trigger the prosthetic arm to move accordingly. The artificial leg had long been mastered, however the artificial arm remained a challenge until now. Because the new reinnervation technique is costly and requires surgical attachment and post surgical adjustments, it is not attainable to everyone. However, with rising numbers of amputations from diabetes and military injuries, this new technique is quickly gaining interest. Already it has been performed on dozens of patients including military personals. Hopefully, this procedure will make way for even better arm prosthetic techniques and become accessible to even more amputees.Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Real-Artificial Arm
A breakthrough in prosthetic arms can give thousands of people a second chance at a normal life. The new procedure is called targeted muscle reinnervation, and it allows the prosthetic arm to be moved automatically and almost as naturally as a real arm. Nerves remaining from an amputation are connected to muscle, most commonly chest muscle. Electrodes are placed over the muscle, and at cue, the brain sends signals to the muscles which trigger the prosthetic arm to move accordingly. The artificial leg had long been mastered, however the artificial arm remained a challenge until now. Because the new reinnervation technique is costly and requires surgical attachment and post surgical adjustments, it is not attainable to everyone. However, with rising numbers of amputations from diabetes and military injuries, this new technique is quickly gaining interest. Already it has been performed on dozens of patients including military personals. Hopefully, this procedure will make way for even better arm prosthetic techniques and become accessible to even more amputees.
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Its amazing the technology that is available today. Ten years ago losing an arm would not have have a fix with such intricate connections between the user and the prosthetic. Its always great to help another person, and what better way than to give them a new lease on life with a prosthetic arm that works as a normal arm should.
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