Prosthetics have come a long way, from wooden toes in the Egyptian era, to now, where mind controlled prosthetics are enabling people to feel again. Prosthetics are artifical limbs, which replace those lost either from birth or from complications later in life, and they come in 4 different types. These are transradial (below the elbow), transhumeral (above the elbow), transtibial (below the knee) and transfemoral (above the knee). Prosthetics that begin below the joint are able to have a greater range of movement easier, but developments in research are finding ways for above the knee/ elbow prosthetics to have a better range of movement and capabilites.

A recent development in prosthetics are mind controlled prosthetics. These are more technically known as neuromusculoskeletal prosthesis. By connecting to the individuals skeleton, muscles and nerves, the prosthesis can be controlled by the individual much easier, and research has found, can enable them to feel the sensation of touch. This is a major development, impacting the individual greatly.

A small study, which focused on people with osseointegrated prosthetics, changed their prosthesis so that electrical connectors were embedded within their nerves and muscles, to understand its functionality as well as the impact it had on their lives. The individuals mental health and social life was followed, providing great insight into how these devices can really help someone.

This study of 3 individuals, all of which had socket fittings prior to their osseo integrated prosthesis, looked at their experinece of the attachment, control, sensory feedback, practice and use, phantom limb, self image and social relations. All of which are massivly important to the individual and all impact quality of life. It was found that the osseo integrated limb was more comfortable and easy to use, and they had better control of their prosthesis, due to embedded electrodes instead of surface ones, which would often interact with signals from their environment. It was found that the limb enabled sensory feedback but wasn’t described as natural. Although the participants did not seem to overly mind this lack of natural feeling. The prosthesis was found to increase the amount of activities the individuals could participate in, and they found an increase in self-esteem.

Overall, this development in technology has greatly improved the quality of life of the individuals within the study. In the future, the industry hopes to improve the sensory feedback of these mind controlled prosthesis, allowing for better sensation of touch. Hopefully, these prosthetics will continue to improve the quality of life for these individuals and be introduced to more people.

References

IRVING, M. 2020. Mind-controlled prosthetic arms “feel” like the real thing [Online]. New Atlas. Available: https://newatlas.com/medical/mind-controlled-prosthetic-arm/ [Accessed 09/03/2023].

MIDDLETON, A. & ORTIZ-CATALAN, M. 2020. Neuromusculoskeletal Arm Prostheses: Personal and Social Implications of Living With an Intimately Integrated Bionic Arm. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 14.

ORTIZ-CATALAN, M., MASTINU, E., SASSU, P., ASZMANN, O. & BRÅNEMARK, R. 2020. Self-Contained Neuromusculoskeletal Arm Prostheses. New England Journal of Medicine, 382, 1732-1738.

PROSTHETICS, H. S. O. A. 2019. Prosthetics: What are They and How Do They Work? [Online]. Horton’s Orthotics and Prosthetics Available: https://www.hortonsoandp.com/prosthetics-what-are-they-and-how-do-they-work/ [Accessed 06/03/2023].

SURGICAL, P. 2017. History of Prosthetics [Online]. Premier Surgical Available: https://www.premierprosthetic.com/02/history-of-prosthetics/#:~:text=Ancient%20Greece%20and%20Rome%20through,Ages%20saw%20only%20limited%20progress. [Accessed 09/03/2023].