Researchers at University College London have made a breakthrough in the field of Biomedical Technology, Bionic Limb, enabling the direct attachment of artificial limbs to human skeleton. The bionic limb is attached to the skin without any risk of infection. The team considers early clinical trials very promising.
This development may prove as a boon for the amputees especially victims of 7 July bombings. The technique, called Intraosseous Transcutaneous Amputation Prosthesis (ITAP), involves securing a titanium rod directly into the bone. This hopefully will lead someday to attachment of the central nervous system to give the user seamless communications with the body’s command center rather than from some other source.
Dr. Paul Unwin said, “In the deer antlers it is very much to do with the structure and shape of the bone, and the porosity of the bone.’
Presently artificial limbs are fixed to an amputee’s stump. With this technology, doctors can directly attach the artificial limb by passing metal implant through the skin.
It is surely going to reduce the risk of infection since the skin tissues will mesh around the rod to form a seal thereby blocking the bacteria that can pass from the external limb through the rod to bone.
Imagine the difference that attaching the prosthetic to the bone would mean! Nevertheless, the only thing I would still worry about is the risk of infection.
Via: BBC
