History of Prosthesis Technology
Prosthetics were developed centuries before the advent of robotic artificial arms. Throughout the years, prosthesis technology has been influenced by immense need brought on by wars and the innovation of other scientific inventions. Click on the entries in the time line below to learn more about major historical events that influenced prosthesis technology.
Egyptian Big Toe (950-710 B.C.)
In the Thebes-West tomb of Egypt, the mummy of a 50-60-year-old woman was found in 2007. Upon examination, the woman's right big toe had been amputated and replaced with a wooden toe prosthesis. The toe had been skillfully carved and painted to imitate a real toe. Fabric lace attached the two wooden plates, which were fixed with seven leather cords, of the toe to the body. Testing proved that the toe to be effective. The toe is the oldest prosthesis to have been found [32].
Marcus Sergius (218-201 B.C.)
According to Pliny’s Natural History, Roman general Marcus Sergius lost his right hand in the Second Punic War, which occurred from 218-208 B.C. Sergius had an iron hand made for him that could hold his shield while he fought with only his left hand [31].
Goetz von Berlichingen (1509)
Goetz von Berlichingen, a German knight, lost his right hand in a battle. He replaced it with an iron prosthesis with jointed fingers that could hold his sword [31].
Ambroise Pare (1564)
Ambroise Pare, a French military surgeon, was the first to develop artificial limbs in a scientific manner. He published his descriptions of prosthetic arms and legs that could be produced during his time. However, these prostheses could not be controlled [31].
Anesthesia (1846-1847)
Gaseous anesthesia was discovered, so more complex surgeries could be done. Surgeons could now reconstruct the amputation stump to be able to support a prosthesis [31].
Comte de Beaufort (1860s)
To respond to the needs of French soldiers amputated during the Crimean and Italian campaigns, Comte de Beaufort invented a plethora of prosthetic devices. One of them was a shoulder harness that allowed the amputee to control an artificial hand. Beaufort also developed an artificial hand with fingers that could be opened and closed [31].
Civil War (1861-1865)
The Civil War introduced the powerful rifled musket, which shot lead bullets that often trapped pieces of clothing into the skin when they hit a soldier. This caused many infections that lead to over 30,000 amputations, which in turn created the need for more prostheses. Amputees were fitted with a socket that could hold a rubber hand, hook, knife, brush, or other tools in accordance to the person’s needs [31].
World War II (1939-1945)
With the immense amount of amputee war veterans, countries strived to improve the way of life for the ex-soldiers. The Advisory Council on Artificial Limbs, which later became the Prosthetic Research Board, was created to infuse innovative scientific research with prosthetics. Artificial limb technology received a large boost in sophistication as a result [31].
First Myoelectric Arm (1958)
Russian researchers develop the first myoelectric arm. The arm can only be installed in forearm amputees, but is groundbreaking in allowing the amputee to control the arm with the electrical impulses provided by the amputee’s muscles. The arm receives the signals from the muscles, amplifies them, and turns the hand on or off as a result. The wearer is required to carry an electronic pack along with a battery and charger pack at all times.
Plastic prosthetics introduced (1970s)
The introduction of plastic prosthetics reduced a lot of the weight load for the amputee. Artificial limbs could now be molded to custom fit the patient [25].
Ysidro M. Martinez (1975)
Ysidro Martinez reduced many prosthetic limb problems by taking a different approach to design and not imitating the natural limb. Instead, he designed a lightweight prosthesis with a high center of mass to improve acceleration and deceleration, as well as decrease friction [25].
Skin-tone-matching Prostheses (2000s)
Prosthetics are of lighter weight, and carbon fibers are used to match the skin tone of the prosthetic to the wearer. The limbs are held by suction and Bluetooth technology helps stabilize movement of the limb [31].
Luke Arm and Brain-Computer Interface(2008)
Developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Luke arm takes advantage of recent electronics technology, such as tiny microprocessors, to greatly increase the mobility for arm amputees, who can control the arm with their own muscles. The motor control is sophisticated enough to pick up objects as small as coffee beans. A tactor motor sends vibrating messages to the amputee to notify them on the strength of their grip, further increasing the amount of daily tasks the arm can perform [2].
By wearing a cap outfitted with 64 electrodes, a person can control an artificial arm. The brain sends mu waves to a computer, which controls the arm movement. Trials for this technology are to begin in 2009 [2].
Picture references are the same as the references in the corresponding paragraphs.