Digital Media Concepts/Prosthetic Body Parts

Rock climbing prosthetic leg

Prosthetics or also known as Prosthesis are artificial limbs that replace missing body parts. The goal is to replace as many features of the original limb as possible. At a minimum, the prosthesis should help the amputated person perform essential daily activities, such as eating, walking, and dressing.

Prosthetics are classified into four types: Transradial, transhumeral, transtibial, and transfemoral prosthesis are examples. Depending on which body part was amputated, each prosthetic has a different purpose.

History

Prosthetic toe

It was a toe, a large toe belonging to an Egyptian noblewoman who lived roughly 3,000 years ago, that was the first prosthetic body part, not a leg, a fake eye, or even an arm. Their big toe was culturally important in Egyptian society at the time, and wearing sandals was a popular pastime, enough to necessitate the creation of the first prosthetic body part.

Ambroise Paré

In the 16th century, a doctor named Ambroise Paré invented the hinged prosthetic hand and leg with a locking knee joint, making it easier for the wearer to bend their knee, sit normally, and stand up with the knee and arm locked in place, allowing them to move more normally. Despite the fact that it was invented 500 years ago, it is still used in current prostheses.

These inventions have only seen minor advancements up until now. Improvements such as a suction-attached prosthetic, aluminum prosthetics so the wearer wouldn't have to drag a heavy metal leg or arm around, and the most amazing of them all, a hand that could be locked into different positions to allow the user to hold objects in their prosthetic hand, such as a fork for eating, were all made possible.

The Hanger limb, invented by James Hanger, the first amputee of the Civil War in the United States, would not be invented until 1861. James' prosthetic limb was quiet, yet it looked quite similar to Ambroise Pare's. The pricing of this limb was what set it apart. The first prosthetic limb was made accessible to tens of thousands of US troops who lost a leg during the Civil War.

Hanger Incorporated, which produces prosthetic limbs to this day, was created by James Hanger. While modern medicine was advancing and greatly advancing the field of amputations, prosthetics did not see much development until the 1970s, when inventor Ysidro Martinez produced a low-limb prosthesis, which had a big impact on the history of prosthetics. His prosthesis was groundbreaking since it was the first to avoid attempting to mimic the human body's actions. His mechanical limb, on the other hand, is focused on the walking pattern and reducing friction.

Brain-Controlled Prosthetic Arm

Types of Prosthetics

The 4 Types	Definitions
Transradial Prosthetic	A transradial prosthetic is worn below the elbow on the arm. It includes both the forearm and the wrist. Wires and cables are used in newer iterations of this prosthetic. The amputee receives a robot-like arm with the transradial prosthetic, allowing them to execute a variety of arm functions with remarkable ease.
Transhumeral Prosthetic	Transhumeral prostheses are worn above the elbow on the arm. Because of its location above the elbow, it is one of the most difficult prosthesis to fit. It's also a difficult prosthetic to acquire to match someone's natural movements in terms of functionality. A suction system is the most common technique of connecting a transhumeral prosthetic to the body. Another option for affixing the prosthetic limb is to use a roll-on linear method.
Transtibial Prosthetic	This prosthetic is worn on the lower leg, just below the knee. People who require a transtibial prosthetic still have a part of their leg that is healthy, which supports mobility. Because the knee is retained, many amputees wearing transtibial prosthesis can participate in a variety of leisure sporting activities. One issue to keep in mind with this type of prosthetic is that the user's full weight is supported by it. It's critical to pick one that's comfortable to wear.
Transfemoral Prosthetic	The transfemoral prosthetic is attached to the leg above the knee. An amputee takes longer to rehabilitate and may have a more difficult time regaining normal movement since the residual limb is shorter than the transfemoral prosthetic. When compared to someone who has two legs, transfemoral amputees must use roughly 80% more energy to walk. Amputees are recovering faster thanks to newer technology like hydraulic pumps and direct bone attachment.

Pros and Cons

• Pros:
  1. For people who are self-conscious about their appearance, having a prosthetic to fill out garments and allow for more natural movements can make a huge difference. As a result, these people may feel more self-assured and confident in their daily activities.
  2. Amputation patients benefit from prosthetic devices because they improve their quality of life. There are prosthetic hands that can grasp objects and let people accomplish daily duties more easily. Patients who are unable to walk without the use of a wheelchair can benefit from artificial legs. All of these things can help people live more complete and productive lives than they could otherwise.

Prosthetic arm (NCP 003942), National Museum of Health and Medicine (284972614)

• Cons:
  1. The risk of problems and the cost are two primary disadvantages of utilizing prosthetic devices. Many insurance companies will cover the fitting and purchase of such devices, but individuals without coverage may have a more difficult time. Payment arrangements may be considered by some doctors and manufacturers, although this may not always be the case.
  2. There are also health implications with prosthesis. Many can irritate the skin where they are implanted, and most patients require some form of physical therapy as they adjust to their new device. For others, this can be time consuming and demanding, as it is often required to retrain and relearn how to use specific muscle groups.

Future

211000 - Athletics track 100m semi Don Elgin action - 3b - 2000 Sydney race photo

Prosthetics' future progress will be heavily influenced by demand. The market for low-cost, limited-function devices will continue to grow in order to address the demands of developing countries as well as the financial constraints that are becoming more prevalent in all nations. Simultaneously, emerging technology from the aerospace and technology/computer industries will continue to be adopted and used to high-performance prosthetic limbs whose function will more resemble that of the missing limb.

Prosthetic advancements are frequently utilized sparingly at first, mostly by amputees with private funding—especially competitive athletes. As manufacturers acquire experience, they will be able to apply the same concepts to lower-cost devices aimed at less active people, and prosthetic performance will increase as a result.

Amputees' lives are still being improved by scientists. From using your brain to control an artificial limb by allowing the patient to feel with their prosthetic limb to completely regrowing the limb. It appears that amputations will no longer be an issue in the future, that people will be able to feel entire, that a person's sense of identity will not be harmed, that losing a limb will be a transitory loss, and that individuals will be able to continue living life to the fullest.