In the past, cripples and amputees were shunned, ostracized, and completely removed from society as unworthy rejects.
So, restoring the body to any degree of normality with prosthetics not only soothed physical troubles, but it also consoled emotional well-being, allowing individuals to rejoin society as whole human beings.
The history of prosthetics is a painful one, a story of humans attempting to regain their wholeness where it had once been previously denied.
Advancing this technology became a priority, no longer leaving individuals with an incomplete sense of self.
And has remained as such.
Some of the earliest known prosthetics date all the way back to ancient Egypt.
At first, when the tomb of an Egyptian noblewoman was discovered, the archaeologists and Egyptologists unearthed what they thought to be another unique, but quite unusual, body ornament attached to her mummified body.
It appeared to be a wooden big toe attached to her foot with leather straps. It is currently on display at a museum in Cairo.
After examining the artifact further, scientists believe it to be the world’s first working artificial body part, dated around 950–710 BC.
At first, the experts believed the artifact to be another type of body ornament fitted after death as part of the traditional burial rites to improve the deceased’s life after death.
However, the wooden prosthetic revealed evidence of wear and tear and has similar joints as a real human toe.
Did you know that the big toe supports 40% of the body’s weight and is responsible for propulsion?
Now, scientists are fairly certain the artificial big toe was used during life to aid the wearer in locomotion, overcoming the loss of her missing digit.
The Cairo Toe, as it’s called, is the world’s oldest artificial body part. It beats the Roman Capua Leg, an appendage forged from bronze by the Romans around 300 BC, which was at first thought to be the earliest recorded prosthetic.
You would think that a wooden toe would be unbelievingly uncomfortable, causing pain, unnatural movement, and maybe even splinters.
However, Dr. Jacky Finch, then of the University of Manchester, selected a few volunteers to test out replicas of the Cairo Toe.
And to everyone’s surprise, the replicas were very comfortable and useful.
Throughout history, we have seen a wide array of advancements in prosthetics. A German knight served the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V with an iron prosthetic. Welding attachments and other tools were integrated into the mass-produced limbs by Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for World War I soldiers returning to work during peacetime.
In the past decade, innovations in prosthetics have surpassed costly, uncomfortable, and immobile limbs. They have become beautifully mastered scientific works of art.
Modern prosthetics have moved beyond the demands of basic function to deliver a sense of wholeness to amputees who refuse to be held back from enjoying the same passions, mobility, and activities as able-bodied individuals.
Bionics and Brain Control
Bionic limbs that are controlled via brainpower is old news.
However, older prosthetics of this variety have always been difficult to maneuver, leaving the wearer with awkwardly delayed movements that do little to restore them with a sense of normality.
Articulation required extensive focus and concentration. And often times, there would be a significant lapse in response time.
Icelandic company Össur (OTC: OSSFF) is entering into large-scale trials of its revolutionary brain-controlled prosthetics, which use implanted myoelectric sensors to link thoughts and robotic limbs.
Össur’s technology is so advanced that, with minimally invasive 15-minute surgery, patients can control their limbs in such a way that the lag between impulse and action are now indistinguishable.
This makes for an experience that actually helps improve the overall performance and health of existing muscles since wearers will be able to achieve a much more natural movement than had been possible with other prosthetics.
The implanted sensors require no batteries or additional power sources. They were specifically designed to be lifelong assets that require no periodic replacements.
Their achievements have already been proven successful in small-scale testing.
The large-scale trials are likely to be just as successful, bringing Össur’s vision to broader markets sometime within the next 3–5 years.
Dr. Aldo Faisal, senior lecturer in neurotechnology at Imperial College London, and his team of researchers are working on creating prostheses similar to Össur’s.
Faisal had this to say when speaking with Wired about his Cybathlon in Switzerland:
We call them “flourishes.” Kevin [a recipient of a Faisal cybernetic limb] has this flourish where, because he can rotate his wrist 360-degrees either way, when he reaches for or passes you stuff he will add this flourish just for the fun of it. There’s no need for him to do it, but he does it anyway. It’s like if you pick up your teacup and you stretch out your pinkie finger… He doesn’t think about it: he just does it.
The Cybathlon is somewhat similar to the Paralympic Games.
Only, the point of the Cybathlon is to showcase the next generation of prostheses designed to work for anyone, rather than just showcasing pure athletic sport.
Faisal’s team mission is to create prosthetics that almost totally bypass the learning stage that patients experience with cybernetic limbs.
“We’re interested in understanding what algorithms the human brain uses to control movement, to make decisions,” he says. “And of course, if we can reverse-engineer these algorithms, then the pathway to implementation is more straightforward than if you’re trying to do artificial intelligence from scratch.”
Faisal and his team are trying to bring prosthesis innovation to a cognitive level. They hope to incorporate cognitive intelligence within the technology, so the prosthetic can take care of each little individual movement on its own.
Kevin’s subconscious wrist flourishes are more than just idiosyncrasy — it’s proof of how totally integrated the next generation of prosthetics can be.
Printed People
In the United States alone, close to 200,000 amputations are performed each year. Yet, with traditional prosthetics priced anywhere between $5,000$–50,000, they can be considered a costly luxury most are unable to obtain.
Traditionally, the process of getting a prosthetic limb can take anywhere from weeks to months to even years.
Because they are such personalized items, each artificial limb must be custom-made or made to fit the needs of the wearer.
As 3-D printers become more affordable, some costing less than $200, the possibility of anyone being able to design and print their own prosthetic limbs is rapidly becoming a reality.
Open-source initiatives like Enable Community Foundation let anyone with a 3-D printer customize and create their own prosthetics.
The Enable team, a global network of volunteers, are using 3-D printing to help those in need around the world, and it only costs $50.
They will soon be seamlessly integrated into people’s everyday lives with minimal effort.
New 3-D scanning and body-modeling technologies from companies like Body Labs enable people to scan their limbs and have prosthetics modeled after them, ensuring the most natural and comfortable fits and appearances.
At UNYQ, it not only uses 3-D printing technology to restore function but to also inspire confidence and individuality.
The company creates beautiful protective prosthetic covers that appear to be walking pieces of art.
By creating personalized and attractive covers, UNYQ has shifted the perception of prosthetics as a reflection of tragedy to an expression of personality and uniqueness.
3-D printers are also becoming compatible with materials such as lightweight titanium and carbon fiber in order to increase durability and strength.
Experts have 3-D printed skin for burn victims, airway splints for infants, facial-reconstruction parts for cancer patients, and a wide array of orthopedic implants.
This fast-developing technology has even produced over 60 million customized hearing aid shells and ear molds and thousands of dental crowns and bridges.
The applications of 3-D printed prosthetics are endless.
The democratization of prosthetic design and creation through 3-D printing will enable millions of people around the world to reap the benefits of this manufacturing technology.
This One’s for the Dogs
3-D printed prosthetics is not a technology reserved for humans alone.
This rapidly growing and evolving technology has been adapted to help suffering animals in need, as well.
Derby the dog, an Alaskan Malamute, was born without fully formed front legs.
He could hardly walk, let alone run.
With the help of Derby’s foster parents, a Virginia-based company called Animal OrthoCare created a special set of 3-D printed prosthetics for the pup.
Now, he can race effortlessly around the neighborhood, just like a normal dog.
There are many examples of successfully 3-D printed prosthetics for animals all over the globe.
In São Paulo, Brazil, a goose, affectionately named Victoria, was dropped off at an animal rescue hospital center, missing most of her beak.
The rescue center contacted Dr. Paulo Miamoto, a local dentist who specialized in 3-D facial and dental reconstructions, to create a prosthetic beak for Victoria from a 3-D printer.
Dr. Miamoto is a member of a group called Animal Avengers, a collection of an all-volunteer crew of veterinarians and 3-D computer modeling experts whose mission is to create custom prosthetics for wild and domestic animals using 3-D printers.
It may appear to be extremely expensive, but the process is substantially cheaper than building each prosthetic by hand.
In essence, all that the Animal Avengers need in order to do their job are cell phone photos, open-source computer software, and a 3-D printer.
After a failed first attempt, Victoria the goose was successfully fitted with a prosthetic beak during the second surgery and was returned home to the sandy beaches of Ilha Comprida.
Before the implementation of 3-D printing into reconstructive veterinary practices, animals like Derby and Vitoria would have been euthanized.
They have given these animals a second chance at life.
The Bottom Line
3-D printed prosthetics have improved the quality of life for living beings of all shapes and sizes.
They have completely revolutionized the prosthetic industry, making them more economically priced and easier to access.
Soon, 3-D printed limbs could be mobilized via brain impulses that require little to no effort at all.
Having surpassed wooden toes and bronze legs, the ultimate goal of prostheses has remained the same: restoring wholeness to the body.
It’ll be interesting to see this technology continue to evolve and advance.
Only time will tell what we’ll see next.
That’s all for now.
Until next time,
John Peterson
Pro Trader Today