Becoming Bionic and Other Ways Science Is Making Us Super
950 to 710 BCE Made of leather and wood the Cairo toe is considered the earliest working prosthesis Attached to a female mummy discovered in a burial chamber outside Luxor Egypt the toe not only looks good but can also bend Timeline INVENTIVE PARTS FROM THE PAST Give Me a Hand We don't know when the very first prosthesis was made but we can assume it helped its wearer overcome the physical challenges and possible psychological issues such as depression and anxiety that can happen after someone loses a limb 1861 Eighteen year old James Hanger becomes the American Civil War's first amputee when he is hit in the leg by a cannonball just two days after enlisting Once back home he whittles an artificial leg out of slats of wood from a barrel then adds a hinged knee and ankle He goes on to create prostheses for other soldiers and establishes an international prosthetic company that still exists today Circa 1820 The Anglesey leg is created by James Potts for the Marquess of Anglesey who lost a limb during the Battle of Waterloo Made from lime wood and leather this prosthetic leg has a hinged knee and ankle that use cat gut which is actually sheep intestine for tendons so they work together for better movement
300 BCE The Capua leg is found in a grave in Capua Italy This earliest known prosthetic leg is from the era when medical practitioners learned how to stop bleeding which makes amputation a less deadly treatment Unfortunately the bronze and wooden leg is accidentally destroyed by a bomb in the Second World War Circa 1920 As wounded soldiers come home from the First World War the need for artificial limbs skyrockets Veterans require new innovations so they can return to work The McKay heavy working arm features a lightweight hand with exchangeable attachments such as a hook chisel holder and hammer Circa 1550 Designed by a French military surgeon named Ambroise Paré and worn by an army captain le Petit Lorrain is a mechanical hand that uses catches and springs so the wearer can open and close his fingers Dr Paré begins making prostheses after learning that some amputee patients are taking their own lives He believes his devices will improve patients physical and mental well being He even shares his designs and instructions so others can make them too 2012 Scientists show just how far prostheses have come when they use twenty eight parts including arms legs a heart lungs eyes ears and an eerily lifelike face to create the world's first bionic man This robot can walk and talk and has pumping blood He's still missing a few key parts such as a stomach and a liver but he's proof that about two thirds of the human body can be replaced And at 1 million this bionic man costs a fraction of what it took to rebuild Colonel Steve Austin in the 1970s TV show The Six Million Dollar Man
Becoming Bionic Today's prostheses have come a long way They provide better fit and comfort are stronger and lighter and offer more control and movement MIND OVER MATTER Researchers are revolutionizing prostheses by harnessing the power of the brain By simply thinking about what you want it to do your prosthesis will do it much like a biological limb would One new approach involves wrapping tiny muscle grafts healthy muscle taken from another part of the body around a residual limb's nerve endings to strengthen the signals coming from the nerves Electrodes in the muscle pick up the brain's commands to control the prosthesis Another device in development uses artificial intelligence Al to read nerve signals through your skin Just slip on the prosthesis no surgery needed Scientists aren't just trying to improve how a prosthesis moves they're working to help the brain interpret what a prosthesis feels such as heat or cold pain and texture PUT IT IN PRINT A traditionally made prosthetic arm can cost tens of thousands of dollars pretty pricey especially when it's for a kid who will soon grow out of it With 3D printing a prosthetic arm can be made for as little as a hundred dollars Prostheses can also be more lightweight making them more comfortable for smaller bodies and easier to use And the limbs can be designed to reflect hobbies and passions favorite colors characters video games you name it In 2015 one boy received a replica Iron Man prosthetic arm personally delivered by actor Robert Downey Jr. who plays Iron Man in the movies ATHLETIC PROSTHESES Competition is fierce for the athletes in the Paralympics the Invictus Games and the X Games And whatever the sport there are specialized prostheses for every participant's needs Like what Upper limb clips that can hold a kayak paddle Legs that flex and extend for downhill skiing Metal sleeves that slip over a golf club handle A flexible curved hand for playing basketball Skate attachments for playing ice hockey And so many more 1980 Materials Steel and fiberglass leg wooden and rubber foot covered by a sneaker Knee Steel hinge like joint and elastic strapping Fit Socket suction and belts Shock absorption None requires user to burn a lot of energy Weight About 4 kg 9 lb.
A Leg Up On April 12 1980 three years after losing his right leg to cancer twenty one year old Terry Fox set out on his Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research He was forced to end his marathon after completing 5,373 km 3,339 mi of his 8,500 km 5,282 mi cross Canada run when the cancer returned Sadly he died soon after on June 28 1981 Terry's leg was much different from a running prosthesis used today 2020 Materials Carbon fiber running blade Knee Hydraulic joint Fit Socket suspension system suction silicone liner suspension sleeve expulsion valve Shock absorption Yes requires user to burn much less energy Weight About 1.5 kg 3 lb
