The Influences in the Advancements of Prosthetics

1024 Words3 Pages

From peg legs and hooks to robotic arms and legs, prosthetics have made an outstanding leap. Prosthetics have enabled amputees to regain mobility and their lives. The advancements in prosthetics have also led to a better understanding in surgical amputation and the construction of prosthetics. The question is what influenced the advancements of prosthetics and how it affected prosthetics. The answer lies within the history and the physiological components of prosthetics. Mobility and function, physiological components, and war all played an important role in the advancements of prosthetics.

Mobility and Function
The most obvious factor in the influence of the advancements of prosthetics is mobility. Mobility has played a key role in prosthetics since the dawn of man and continues to be vital factor in the construction of prosthetics. In the prehistoric era, humans constructed prostheses from branches or wooden sockets. However, these prostheses did not offer the amputee much mobility. In a span of several thousand years, minor advancements were made in prosthetics, such as the materials the prostheses were made from and closer resemblance to the missing limb. In fact, it was not until the 16th century, did prosthetics reach a major breakthrough. In 1500, Ambrose Pare made upper and lower prostheses, which offered greater mobility and function than previous prostheses. Pare’s prostheses also offered insight in how prostheses should function and led the way to new more complex prostheses. These prostheses were often made from lighter materials and and had mechanical systems within the prosthesis. One example is the Anglesey leg. The Anglesey leg was an above the knee prosthesis. The prosthesis allowed the amputee to have a natural...

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